Saving Wonderland
by FancyToaster
Summary: She wasn't sure how, but she knew that she didn't belong. Something, or someone, was missing from her life. When she wakes up in a wonderland of sorts, she realizes that it's her chance to find what's missing, and save a few hundred lives, but that's no big deal. Saku/Sasu Naru/Hina
1. Introduction

**Hiya! First multi for Naruto. I don't own anything familiar. A.U. This fic was inspired by another, ****audeamus**. **Chapter 7, specifically. So yeah, read and review, please.**

Sakura Haruno walked home, alone, again. She had a typical day at school, a lonely one. Most of her days were spent alone. It would be false to say that she _didn't _want a friend. After all, everyone wants friends, right? Everyone wants someone to care about them. Unfortunately, Sakura had no one. Her father was killed during a mission, and her mother tragically died soon after. She bounced from foster home to foster home, until being kicked out of the system two months ago, at age seventeen. It seemed that no one wanted her, and she accepted that. She had an apartment outside of her hometown of Tokyo, which was of course empty. The only company she kept was a snake who found her one day.

The snake followed her to a foster home one day a few years back, and it never left her side. It'd follow her from home to home, bouncing along with her. This snake possessed a gift. He could talk. He claimed that he other talents, but she never saw them. His voice is low and soft, but rough and dry. It would say anything to her, and said everything it wanted. It was crude and rude at times, but she enjoyed him. She was amazed at the slithering creature. He was honest and caring and sometimes, sweet. He was there for her when she was alone. He would slither next to her and start talking in his low voice, making her feel less alone.

She couldn't help but feel as if something was missing though. She never felt like she belonged in the world she lived in. She felt different than everyone else around. She wasn't sure how, but she knew that she didn't belong. Something, or some_one, _was missing from her life. Sakura longed to get it - them - back. She just needed a chance to find it.

She came home from school exceptionally tired one day. Her bright pink hair was disheveled and her jade eyes were weary. She didn't bother to change out of her school uniform. Slipping out of her shoes, she fell into her bed. She didn't greet the snake like she usually would.

This is until the snake, _her _snake, slithered beside her. The cool, rough exterior of it's skin rubbed against Sakura's arm, causing her to turn around and face him. He stuck his forked tounge out at her and hissed. She smiled and mimicked his movements. "Sssakura," he said cooly. She smiled at him, even though she was exceptionally tired. Right now, all she wanted to do was either sleep, or find what was missing.

"Yes, Lee?" she said back, calling the snake by a name she'd made up for it long ago. A hiss was heard and the snake moved to the other side of the bed, slithering over Sakura. She shivered at the rough skin, it itched as it rubbed over her other arm.

"Are you happy here, Sssakura?" The pinkette rolled onto her back. She stared at the blank ceiling before sighing deeply. _Am I happy here? Having a snake as my only company? I don't belong here and I never have, _she thought. She rolled back over to face Lee, who flicked his forked tounge at her, a sign of affection. His black eyes held concern for her. He was usually looking for her best interest. He could tell that she wasn't too keen to being here. "You don't have to ssstay, Sssakura."

Her jade eyes flashed. "What do you mean, Lee?" she asked delicately. She picked the snake up, who in turn, had wrapped itself around her arm. He stared at her with black eyes. "What do you mean, Lee?" she asked again, a little more forceful this time. He stuck his tounge out and hissed at her.

"You don't have to ssstay here in Tokyo, Ssakura. I can get you ssomewhere you belong. That isss, _if _you want to go," he said solemnly. She looked at him with sparkling eyes. She bobbed her head up and down, telling the snake that she wanted to leave. Lee attempted to smile, but having no lips, he was not able to do so.

"What do I have to do?" she asked carefully. A ghost of smile found its way to her thin, pink lips. Lee slithered off of her arm and onto her bed.

"Jusst ssleep. When you wake, you'll no longer be in Tokyo. You'll be somewhere far, far away. You won't be able to return until you've found what you've been looking for, and wish to come back," Lee said slowly. Sakura nodded and took a deep breath.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked in a small voice. A loud hiss gave her answer.

"I won't look like this, Sssakura," he said. She nodded slowly. She wasn't sure how, but she'd find Lee and what she was looking for, even if she didn't know what they looked like. Tomorrow, she wouldn't be here. She'd be in some far away land, searching for what was missing. She smiled slightly, and then laid down. In a few moments, she was sleeping soundly. "Forgive me, Sssakura," Lee said.

He lunged at her, and bit her ankle. He curled next to her and took a deep breath. "Tomorrow," he said softly, before closing his eyes and resting next to her.


	2. Waking Up In Wonderland

**Update! I don't own anything familiar.**

The sunlight shone in Sakura's face, causing her to wake. She looked up at the sky and noticed that it was a deeper shade of blue than normal. Looking around, she saw that she was in a field. A large open field full of grass greener than her eyes. Behind her, she saw a small pond with water a shade darker than the sky. She saw a castle not too far from her, with tall gray walls a black flag, bearing a paper fan. What she didn't fail to notice, is that she didn't see a sign of anyone else.

_No one's here, not even Lee. _

"Maybe, whatever I'm looking for is in there," she stated, hopefully. A small smile crossed her lips when she attempted to stand up. Sakura shrieked loudly, and fell back onto the ground, her ankle throbbing painfully. She looked down, to see what was wrong with her ankle, she noticed that she wasn't wearing her simple school uniform anymore.

In place of the white shirt and blue skirt she had on last night, she found a green knee-length dress with short sleeves and circular designs on it. She was also wearing white ballet flats and neon green socks. She crawled over to the pond to look at her reflection to see if anything else had change.

Upon seeing her reflection she saw that her once short, pink hair had grown back. She smiled at the fact that it was still pink. She had a blue ribbon wrapped around her head, accentuating her face and she no longer had bangs. Then she noticed something - some_one - _else.

She turned around and shock and the first thing she noticed were his eyes. They were a cold onyx, and he smiled at her. His hair was long and in a pony tail. He had bangs reaching his chin and his skin was pale. He had visible tear troughs, too. "_What _are you doing, miss?" he asked, crouching down to reach her height. His voice was deep and smooth. He wore black pants and a white shirt with blue sandals. On his shirt was that paper fan she seen on the flag.

_He's cute. He must live in that castle, _she thought, trailing her eyes to the paper fan on his shirt. Her eyes met his and for a moment, she could've sworn his eyes flashed red. "I'm...uh...looking for something," she said softly. She brushed a stray strand out of her face. "Who are you?" she asked, to which he smirked.

"I'm Itachi. Itachi Uchiha, and you, miss, are in my empire," he said cooly. She sighed, but kept her gaze focused on him. _So he does live in that castle, _she thought. "I can't call you miss forever. What's your name?" he asked. She looked into his eyes and she could see the red flash again.

"Haruno. Sakura Haruno," she stated. His eyes widened, and he smiled at her. He studied her for a minute and her ankle throbbed. Biting back another shriek, she forced a smile. "Tell me more about this place." Another smirk appeared on his face.

He decided to sit beside her. "Well, my parents ruled over Wonderland until they died. That was nearly ten years ago. Back then, it was like a different place. Everyone who lived near here would be outside by now, either spending time with someone else, or enjoying solitude. Personally, I'd prefer to be in my room, locked away from everyone else. It was too _happy_ for my taste. But then the king and queen - my parents - died."

"Forgive me rudeness, Itachi, but how did they die?" Sakura asked. She saw Itachi smirk at her before he laughed. She felt her stomach tie itself in knots. Something didn't feel right about this. Something didn't feel right about _him. _She saw his eyes change from onyx to ruby in a matter of seconds. He leaned in close to her, and she leaned back. The more she leaned back, the more he leaned forward. It got to the point where she was lying on her back, against the cool grass and he was hovering over her.

He whispered in her ear, "I slaughtered them." Her green orbs widened ten fold. _He _ killed his parents? What kind of monster is he?

"You should run. If you're faster than me, I'll hunt you down and rip your heart out. If you're slower than me, I'll drag back over here, and drown you. You have twenty five seconds," he stated boredly. Sakura attempted to lift herself up, only to fall back down again.

"Twenty-two." Again she tried to lift herself up, only to fall back. This time she landed on his lap. He snickered at her, causing her to huff in anger. "What's wrong, _Sa-ku-ra? _Did you hurt yourself?" he asked in a babyish tone. She growled and attempted to crawl away from him.

"Eighteen." She managed to get three feet away.

"Fifteen." She had crawled at the most ten feet away.

"Ten." She gulped audibly. She wasn't far away from him yet. He'd catch up to her in no time, and there's no way she could be faster than him.

"Three." Tears found their way into Sakura's eyes. _I shouldv'e stayed home! _she thought. She would not stop crawling though.

"Two." She was crawling faster than ever, but she knew it would not be enough. The tears flowed from her eyes, but she would not stop.

"One." She continued to crawl, even though she knew he was behind her. She got two more feet away when she felt him grab her throbbing ankle. "Oh Sakura, you were so pretty!"

"Sakura Haruno was going to bring down the dark prince!" She let out an ear-piercing shriek, trying let to someone know that she was in trouble.

"Sakura Haruno would've made the perfect bride!" She let out scream after scream, but no one came.

"Sakura Haruno was going to break the curse!" No one was going to save her, Sakura Haruno was going to die.

"Sakura Haruno was going to fulfill the prophecy!" She screamed again, hoping someone would hear her.

"Sakura Haruno was so polite!" She clawed at the ground, hoping it would slow him down.

"Sakura Haruno was going to heal the sick!" She noticed a hawk swoop down beside her, so she let out another scream.

"Sakura Haruno was going to save them all!"

Then, she was casted into the water. She held her breath for as long as she could and tried to fight back, but it didn't help. She thrashed her arms and legs, but Itachi didn't let go. Instead, he pushed harder forcing her head deeper into the water. She could hear him still taunting her.

"Sakura Haruno is going to die!" She shut her bright green eyes, running out of breath. She was tired from thrashing and having her head underwater was not helping. She couldn't hold her breath any longer and decided to let herself go. _I wasn't going to last long anyway, _she thought.

And suddenly, she was let go. Immediately, she pulled her head up, and coughed out whatever water entered her lungs. She felt a cold hand touch her back and she whipped her head in that direction, her wet pink locks swinging with her. Her eyes landed on someone who looked like the Uchiha that attempted to kill her. He was paler than Itachi, his eyes were warmer, his hair was styled differently, and he had no tear troughs. He was shouting at her, but she couldn't hear him. Her heavy breathing and wet hair made her feel ten times as heavy as she was. She tried as hard as she could to focus on him, but she couldn't.

The world went black

* * *

She awoke in a soft, warm, bed, feeling a bit light-headed. She lifted her head to look around, and noticed four things.

1.) She was in someone's bedroom, and they were very organized. The walls were solid gray and reached at least fifteen feet in the air. She could see a well lit bathroom near a door, which she assumed to be a closet. She saw a chest full of drawers. On top of the chest, she saw a small sparkling, silver tiara.

2.) She was most likely in the castle she seen in the distance. That could only mean that someone carried her here. She hoped it was that handsome boy who was shouting at her. Who knows what Itachi would've done to her?

3.) Someone had changed her clothes. Her green dress, neon green socks and white ballet flats were replaced by a black corset top and black shorts. She had on no shoes and could see her ankle. It was swollen and throbbing. She winced at the pain and noticed that someone - probably the person who changed her clothes - propped her foot up on a black pillow.

4.) She had an immense migrane. It hurt her to think, but that was the least of her worries. She could possibly be held prisoner in this castle, and she wouldn't know it.

She sighed and leaned her head against the headrest. It was then she saw a note on the gray nightstand by her bed. She looked hesitantly, then picked it up. On it in neat handwriting, was a letter. Her green eyes scanned over it.

_Dear Sakura Haruno,_

_You might want to know where you are, and who bought you here. My name is Sasuke Uchiha. Yeah, Uchiha. I am Itachi's brother, his younger brother. He might not have mentioned me when you two were talking. You are inside my castle, my mother's bedroom to be exact. You fainted after getting out from the water. Your clothes were pretty dirty, so I had my only female servant, Tenten, wash them for you, and change you into something else. Apparently, a guy named Lee knows you and is waiting down stairs for you. He says he can help your ankle, but it's pretty swollen. I don't think it's broken, but it's probably sprained. If you need any assistance, my friend and head knight, Naruto Uzumaki, will be happy to serve you. Just yell for him. I'll tell you anything you wish to know the next time I see you._

_- Sasuke_

Sakura smiled and put back the letter. She was more than happy that it was Sasuke who rescued her, rather Itachi capturing her. Although, she hated playing the damsel in distress role, she loved still being alive. She moved to get out of bed, making sure she put her strong leg first. She balanced herself on one leg, and put down her other foot. She shrieked in pain and fell onto the stone floor.

Soon after, a blonde man with spiky hair and a metal plate on his forehead burst through the door. "I heard are scream. Are you alright, Haruno-sama?" he said loudly. She was taken aback by his voice. She didn't expect a friend of the apparent prince of this land to have such a loud mouth.

"I'm fine, Naruto," she said, taking a guess at who he was. He smiled at her and laughed. She studied him for a moment. He was a tall boy with tan skin and beautiful blue eyes. He had whiskers on his face and a smile playing on his lips. He wore a bright orange shirt with black cuffs and collar. His pants were orange, too, and stopped before his ankle. "And just call me Sakura."

"Oh, sorry Sakura-chan. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Sasuke-teme told me to help you out, if you can't walk right. He should be back in a few minutes, maybe an hour. Do you want to go downstairs and see Lee? He's been talking about you non-stop for a solid three hours." Sakura simply smiled and nodded.

With that, Naruto picked her up and carried her downstairs on his back. He sat her down in what she guessed to be the dining room. "Lee-chan! Sakura-chan is awake!" Naruto yelled, before sitting on her right side.

"Who the hell is _that?" _Sakura said, not believing what she saw.


	3. Enter Sasuke!

**Update! I don't own anything familiar. If anyone knows anything about honorifics, could you tell me about them. I want to know which ones to use when addressing different people.**

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. In front of her was a very lanky boy, with black eyes and a bowl haircut. She noticed that his eyebrows were incredibly bushy, but she really shouldn't say anything, considering the size of her forehead. He wore a teal suit and orange socks. He smiled widely when he saw her. Before she knew it, she trapped in a bone crushing hug, and was lifted from her seat. "Sakura! I've found you!" he screeched. He tried setting her down on the floor, but the moment her feet found the floor, she screamed and fell. Her jade eyes trailed up to the person who dropped her.

"Who _are _you?" she inquired, while trying to get back in her chair. A hurt look crossed the strange boy's face. A girl walked into the dining room, her brown hair in two buns resting on either side of her head. Her shirt was white and she had red pants on. The same metal plate as Naruto's covered her forehead. Her sandals were black.

"Sakuraaaa! It's me! Lee!" the boy said, tears clouding in his eyes. Sakura blinked, trying to figure out _how _this could be Lee. _"I won't look like this, Sssakura," he said. _She sighed and then smiled.

"So now you're _human?" _Sakura asked incredibly, earning an eager nod. "Well, you sprained my ankle. _You _need to fix it," she said, half angry. She couldn't walk and she needed to find what she was searching for. She needed to be able to use both of her legs. What if she ran into Itachi, again? What if this Sasuke turned out to be a creep? There were too many reasons to use her legs again than not too. A sly smirk crossed Lee's lips, and suddenly she didn't trust him anymore.

Without hesitation, Lee grabbed a kunai and slashed his tounge. Then he held his tounge over Sakura's throbbing ankle, much to her disgust. Slowly, the pain started to subside. She looked up to him with curious eyes. "How did you..?"

"I was an enchanted snake, so I was able to talk. Now that I'm human, I need to have some sort of special ability. So my blood heals people." Sakura smiled and stood up, not feeling her ankle anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"You're not going to sparkle, right?" she asked teasingly. Naruto and then girl with brown hair exchanged glances and Naruto shrugged. Sakura then turned her attention to the girl. _Only one female servant, _she recalled. _That must be her, Tenten. _Sakura smiled at her, then bowed gratefully. "Thank you, Tenten." The brown-eyed girl looked over at the pinkette.

"How did you know my name?" she asked hesitantly. She had a natural distrust about people, and learned it was better to be weary of the people around her. Sakura smiled and extended her hand.

"Excuse me. Sasuke left me a letter, explaining what's going on. I'm Haruno Sakura, by the way." Tenten's eyes widened in surprise, then a small smile settled on her lips. _Sakura, eh? _she thought happily.

"You're real?" she asked in genuine surprise. Sakura's eyes widened, of course she was real. Was something wrong with this girl? Giving a confused glance to her, she sighed. "Never thought I'd see you," she remarked before leaving. Sakura gave a desperate glance to Naruto, who smiled sheepishly.

"She must be tired. She's been working so hard lately, she's barely had time for herself," he said sheepishly. Sakura gave a nod in understandment, thinking that the girl simply overworked herself. She knew all about it. Before she came into this mysterious land, she had a job at a diner in Ichikawa. They gave her odd hours and sometimes, if she wanted to maintain her GPA, she didn't sleep. Those days, she'd be tired and confused and somehow ended up in trouble. "I'll go make sure she gets some rest," he said before leaving the room.

"I understand," she said.

"Tenten. Sasuke-teme told us _not _to tell her about it!" Naruto yelled/whispered to the brown-haired girl in the kitchen. Tenten smiled at him.

"Whoops. At least I didn't tell the whole story like _someone_ who have," she said, glancing over the white-haired butler, who simply smiled, showing off his jagged teeth.

"Just choose your words carefully, Tenten," Naruto said and walked out.

She smiled at him when she head a door open. She turned her head, and met a pair on eyes the same color as licorice. They seem warm, yet cold. Somewhat distant and intent. She couldn't tell what lied beneath them, but she knew one thing about them. _They're gorgeous, _she thought happily.

Jade eyes trailed down the person who had such captivating eyes. She noticed his spiky hair and deathly pale skin tone. She smiled at him and bowed gratefully. "Thank you, Sasuke," she said softly. Sasuke gave a sideways glance at her. Naruto smiled at him mischievously and snickered.

"For what, Haruno Sakura?" he asked, tilting her head back up. "There's no need to bow to me. I'm not the king, yet," he said cooly. He stared into her jade eyes, holding her chin up. Sakura could feel something - she didn't know what - working inside her. _He's gorgeous, _she thought. She could feel the butterflies fluttering around in her tummy. Her ankle felt fine, better than ever, but her knees felt like jello. She smiled at him and a faint blush dusted over her cheeks.

"Have a cup of tea with me," he said walking to a seat at the far end of the table. She followed and took the seat across from and Naruto sat next to her. "Naruto, bring us some tea," Sasuke ordered.

"I'm not the maid," Naruto protested. A glaring contest started between Naruto and Sasuke, leading up Naruto leaving. It was then that she noticed Lee was missing. _Oh well, _she thought. _I'll find him again. _

"So, would you like to hear about why Itachi tried to kill you?" Sasuke asked, with a smirk. She nodded, moving her pink locks up and down with her, causing them to fall into her face. Brushing them out, a man with whitish/blueish hair and violet came with two cups of piping hot tea. A bright smile from Sakura and a 'hn' from Sasuke sent the man away. "Well, Mandara Uchiha, founded it. It was a wreck, and he made it beautiful. Everything you see around here, isn't because of him. It's because of Itachi. I could go on and on about how Konoha was formed and who did what - but that's not my job. And it's incredibly boring. I'll tell you the important things. My father and mother ruled over the land, until the were killed -"

"By Itachi. He told me that, before he tried to drown me," Sakura said with a forced smile. Sasuke stared at the girl for a moment. _Long, pink hair. Bright jade eyes. Thin, pink lips. Saukra...she's defintely the one. Why did he talk to her? _he thought, placing one hand over the other. She sipped her tea quietly, noticing the Uchiha staring at her, again. A blush dusted itself onto her cheeks, yet again, and she angrily fought it off.

"What else did he tell you?" Sasuke inquired, his interest in her becoming noticable. She sat back after sipping her tea. She noticed how he stiffened when she mentioned Itachi.

"Not much. He killed his - your - parents a decade ago. He said something about it being a happier place. It's not the same as it was," she said softy. Sasuke stared with such intensity, she bet Lee could feel it.

"That's all he told you?" he asked curiously. _He would've told her. He likes showing off, _he thought.

"Then he threaten to rip my heart out if I was faster than him. Since I was slower, he tried to drown me. That's where you come in," she said, sipping her tea. Sasuke shot her a questionable look. _He would have teased her, _he thought. He bought his tea to his lips and sipped quietly.

"Did he...taunt you? While dragging you to the pond?" Sasuke asked, his gaze intensifying. Sakura nearly choked on her tea. _Why would he ask that? _she thought. He sighed and stared at her. "It's important, Sakura. Did he say anything else? _Anything?"_

She thought about it. "He started counting down by twenty-five. In between counting he would tease me. Stuff like that," she said, looking at his with the say intensity. The corners of his lips turned up in a snarl.

"Do you remember exactly what he said?"

"Not exactly...I was panicking. At twenty-two he talked about my ankle, knowing it hurt," she said slowly, trying to remember. "He called me pretty. He said that I was going to stop some dark king or something." _He was telling her about Orochimaru, _Sasuke thought.

"I was going to break some kind of curse." _Ino, Shikamaru, Neji and Hinata, _he thought, his face twisting in anger.

"I was polite and going to heal people." _Tsundae. _

"I was going to save everyone." _Kakashi_

She started thinking again. She knew he said something else, but she was too busy screaming to listen. She thought back, reflecting on her surroundings. She could feel the cool grass under her. She could feel the dirt, collecting under her fingernails. She could feel the pain he inflicting on her ankle by gripping it so tightly. She heard his voice, cold and taunting. _"Sakura Haruno would've made the perfect bride!"_

In another second, she could feel herself trembling in her seat, across from Sasuke. She looked up from her lap, her jade eyes wide. Her bottom lip trembled and tears threaten to leak from her eyes. _What the hell did I just do? _she thought.

"I would've made the perfect bride," she said slowly._ Me_, Sasuke thought. He swallowed. He told her everything that would've made sense _if _she was from here. Now it seemed like broken jeers, thrown at her. He sighed and ran a hand through his spiky, ebony tresses. _I'm going to have to tell her, _he thought.

"Do you want to hear a story, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, throwing the shaken girl off guard.


	4. Cherry Blossoms and Dormant Kingdoms

**Update! I don't own anything familiar. Thanks you everyone who reviewed, you all deserve ramen! And a special thank you to FakeMirage, who told me about honorifics. Onward with the chapter! At the end, make sure you drop a review. They make my heart feel super happy! So soory about my late update!**

Sakura blinked her jade eyes at him. "A story," she repeated, not believing what Sasuke just asked. "A story is going to help me find out why Itachi wants me dead," she said, not believing.

A swift nod and, "Hn," was all she got. She frowned slightly, not understanding. "Actually, Itachi wants you dead because of a story. It's more of a legend, or prophecy, or myth than a story. We just didn't believe in it," Sasuke said, trying to get her to understand. _That doesn't make any sense! _she thought.

"So, your older brother tried to kill me because of a story he _doesn't even believe in_?!" Sakura said, nearly tearing out her hair.

" _Didn't. _He didn't believe it. But when he saw you, he knew it had to be real," Sasuke said, looking down. _I sound like an idiot, _he thought. Sakura gave him a skeptical look.

"Sasuke-san," she began, her jade iris boring into his, "that doesn't make sense. Why would _I _make the story, myth - thing real?" she asked softly. Sasuke diverted his eyes from the floor to her.

"Because, Sakura, it's about _you." _Sakura's jaw dropped, she was so confused. Her eyes wandered to the floor, her hands started shaking.

"A-About m-me? But why? I'm not special, and I just came here. Barely anyone knows I exist! Why - How could there be a whole prophecy about _me?" _she said, incredulously. _What the hell is going on here? Kings, queens, evil brothers, family massacres and a prophecy! What's next?! Witches? A fucking dragon? What the hell is this place! _she thought angrily, running a hand through her long, somewhat messy, pink locks. _I have to get home, _she thought.

"I know it sounds crazy, Sakura, but you have to believe me," he said. _It's the only way to save this hell hole, _he thought.

"How do you know this prophecy is about me? You don't know the first thing about me, aside from the obvious. You all could have the wrong girl. Did you ever think about that, Uchiha?" she said, hoping that she was right and that they had the wrong girl. Then, she'd be released and find whatever she needed and go back to Tokyo.

"I know it's you. You fit, Sakura. If you knew the story, there wouldn't be a doubt in your mind. Hell, I wish it wasn't true as much as you do," he said. A weird look in her eyes told him to continue. "He knows that you exist, and he knows that you're not from here. That by itself put you in danger. If you're the girl from the story, then you're in serious danger."

"But I'm _not _the girl from the story, Sasuke-san."

"_Yes, _you are," he countered, getting annoyed with her. He's been more than patient with her, and she was started to get on his nerves. It doesn't take a lot to irritate him, and she was almost there.

"Prove it, then, Uchiha. Tell me the story," she said, clearly angry. She glared at Sasuke, who glared back at her. Sasuke got up from the table, and came back with Naruto and a large book five minutes later.

"I still don't think this is a good idea, teme. This could do more harm than good," Naruto said to Sasuke softly. Even though he tried to keep his voice low, Saukra still heard him. She acted like it didn't effect her, but she trembled on the inside. _What have I gotten myself into, _she thought.

"We're making her aware of what's going on. It's better than her living in ignorance, dobe," Sasuke said, clearly agitated. Swallowing, she braced herself for the worst. _I'm not the girl, _she thought over and over, hoping to get whatever comfort she could from it. Sighing, Naruto opened to the first page.

"You should feel honored, Sakura. My mother told me all about you when she could. You're kind of my hero," he said before he began, making a small smile appear in her thin lips. "This version is more a of fairy tale than the actual prophecy, but the message is the same."

"Once upon a time," Naruto began, a small smile spreading on his features. "There was a joyful kingdom. The king and queen were joyful spirits, and everyone in the land was content for a while. Then, the king and queen had a baby - a boy. The whole kingdom rejoiced, an heir was born. The baby stayed away from the public's eye, not wanting any attention from anyone, even as he grew up. No one thought anything of it, pegging him as shy. All was calm for a while. Three years later, another son was born and the kingdom rejoiced again.

Unlike the first child, this one enjoyed other people. He loved company was naturally outgoing. The kingdom slowly started to get over the excitement of a new baby, and all returned to normal. Until, the second's child's' tenth birthday. That day, the King and Queen were murdered - by their first born. The kingdom was devastated by the loss and went into a depression. The eldest son put some people under a curse, made some sickly, and killed most people - especially if you weren't from the kingdom. Anyone who remained unaffected never left their homes again. This continued for nearly a decade.

Then, a girl with pink hair and bright green eyes came into the land. Nobody knew where she came from, and she never heard of the kingdom. Her name was Cherry Blossom, and she was what the kingdom needed. She was smart and very strong, even though she didn't know it. She was also very beautiful, capturing everyone in her presence. She would accompany the younger prince and the prince's best friend, the Kyuubi host, in their journey to avenge the king and queen and rid the kingdom of all it's monsters. Cherry Blossom will cure the sick, save the cursed, and wake up the dormant land.

And when their work is done, the prince would propose to Cherry Blossom and hand over the throne to the Kyuubi host and his bride. And everyone would live happily ever after.

The end," Naruto said, a smile on his face. Sakura looked down, fiddling with her fingers. Sasuke stared at her, wondering what she was thinking. A faint blush fell over her, and she smiled.

"Guess I am this 'Cherry Blossom'," she said softly, staring at the two boys in front of her. _So, Itachi tried to kill me because he knows that I'll - we'll stop him. I'm guessing the Naruto is the Kyuubi host and it's painfully clear the Sasuke-san,_ she thought, as she looked up. _I'm marrying a prince. I won't be a princess, but I'll marry a prince. _She looked over at the door, where she saw Lee standing. His eyes were downcast and she immediately felt bad.

They were supposed to go home after this. She wasn't supposed to stay here and marry a prince, leaving him alone. What was he going to do? She smiled and looked at him. Slowly, she got up and gave him a hug. "_Everyone _lived happily ever after, Lee. Even Cherry Blossom's horrible sidekick," she said. He looked up, but then walked away. She sighed and walked back over to the prince and the Kyuubi host. "So, in the story they mentioned a Kyuubi host. Anyone mind telling me what a Kyuubi is?" Sakura asked, aware that she had to handle this situation now. Apparently, people needed her, and she wasn't about to let them down.

Exchanging nervous glances, Sasuke spoke up. "The Kyuubi is a demon Naruto was born with. It's locked inside him, and comes out when he's in danger. It's a trait that runs in his family. He hold him inside, and it protects him. If Naruto was to let it consume his soul, then we'd be royally fucked. It'd destroy everything and anything. Unfortunately for us, there is a group of people whose goal is to extract the Kyuubi from our dear friend. Itachi is part of that group. Getting you _and _the Kyuubi would be a major find, so we must destroy him, and that group."

Sakura smiled at them, "So I'm the person who helps you save your 'kingdom', steal the prince's heart, and find the demon's host bride?" she asked, earning a nod from Naruto and a smirk from Sasuke.

"You're finally getting it," he said, his onyx eyes meeting jade lenses, then flashing to the cerulean orbs.

"So, how the hell are we doing this?" Sakura said, excited for her new mission. She looked at the two boys in front of her, then to the girl who watched from a distance, thinking she was unnoticed. For the first time since her mother's death, she didn't feel alone. She like part of a team - a family.

And she sure as hell wouldn't let them down.


	5. Small Talk

**Another Update! I don't own anything familiar. Thank you everyone who reviewed, you guys scored phenomenally high on the kind-o-meter. Seriously, I checked. Just in case I didn't mention this in the last chapter, I owe FakeMirage a special thank you for teaching me about honorifics. This chapter will be short as hell, so sorry. **

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged confused glances. "You want to start the mission _this _early?" Naruto asked. Sakura smiled at him boldly.

"You guys need me, and I need you guys. I might not know a thing about this place, but I know someone fucked up. Apparently I'm here to help fix it, and that's what I'm going to do. Besides, it sounds like a lot, might as well start now, before something terrible happens. Prophecy's can change, legends can be wrong, and fairy tales aren't real. We might not be able to do this later," Sakura said, getting up from the table. With a broad smile, she turned her attention from the story - telling blonde to the silent raven - haired boy. "So, Sasuke-_kun, _what do I have to do?"

"First, get some rest," Sasuke said, cooly. Sakura rolled her jade eyes at him. "I'll Kakashi to train you next week. We'll see after that, Sakura-_chan," _he said with a smirk crossing his face. A slight frown ran over her features, and her eyes dropped to the floor for a second. When she turned them back upwards, Sasuke was already leaving. Naruto was already gone.

"Wait!" she said, not wanting him to leave. He turned around and sighed heavily, he'd had enough of the pink - haired girl today. _If that stupid fairy tale was right, I'll have to put up with her everyday, _he thought. She gave him a confused look, wondering what he was thinking. "Why next week?" she asked. He groaned and leaned on a wall.

Rubbing his temples he said, "Because, Sakura. You have to train." She opened her mouth to speak, but Sasuke cut her off. "We'll be fighting against strong people. If you want to survive, then you have to train. It's the only way you'll get strong enough to hold your own against Itachi."

"Okay, Sasuke. Goodnight," she said, walking softly towards the kitchen. The butler she saw was surely in there. She wanted to talk to him before going into her room - Sasuke's _mother's _room.


	6. Pink Haired Girl, Purple - Eyed Butler

**Another Update! I don't own anything familiar. Thank you everyone who reviewed, you guys are the nicest people ever. Sorry about the short chapter yesterday, but I've just broken up with my boyfriend, and I'm pretty bummed. Now I'm sorry if anyone is OOC, but I started watching Naruto when it came on Toonami this year, and I'm reading the manga online. I'm on Vol 17 Chapter 148. **

She walked towards the kitchen, looking for a guy with white hair, jagged teeth and violet eyes. _The butler, _she thought. She opened a door and walked through. She was met with a blinding, bright white light in a spacious room. The light took her off guard, causing her to stumble backwards. She hit her back on what she assumed to be a counter and leaned against it. She moved her hand up, trying to find a _It's so bright, _she thought, opening her eyes wider, forcing them to get adjusted. After a minute of not blinking, her jade orbs adjusted to the bright light.

She looked around, noticing how big of a space the kitchen was. It was at least twice the size of her old apartment. She marveled at the glass cabinets and deep blue cupboards, hanging over the stove and cabinets, that seemed to sparkle. The oven was stark white, contrasting with the blue cupboards above it. In the centre of the room was a small, circular glass table, with a four glass chair around it. The floor was cool stone, the same shade of blue as the cupboards. "Makes me feel as if I'm walking on water," she said softly. The walls were bright white, and she could see her reflection smiling back at her. Then she noticed another reflection staring at her, too. Her green eyes widened a millimeter and she turned around, meeting violet eyes, sharp teeth and white hair with a blue tint.

"You have lovely eyes, Haruno-san," Suigetsu said. "They're a lively and wonderous shade of green. Jade." She smiled at him, a faint blush creeping onto her face. _I haven't met a guy who could name the shade they are, _she thought.

"Thank you and you do as well, umm...uhh," she said, not knowing the man's name. He smiled and kissed her hand charmingly, making the blush on her face deepen.

"Excuse my rudeness, Sakura-san. I'm Suigetsu Hozuki, Sasuke-sama's butler," he said with haste. Sakura smiled and nodded respectfully.

"So you can tell me more about this place, right?" she said, softly staring into his eyes. She was stuck in his gaze, and it didn't feel right. _Something _was wrong, but she didn't know what. Not knowing what to do, she broke eye contact and looked at the sparkling floor. Suigetsu chuckled before tilting her head up.

"It's not hard to detect when something's wrong with you, is it _Sa-ku-ra-san?" _Suigetsu said before releasing her chin. He walked over to one of the chairs and sat while placing his feet on the table. She followed, but kept her feet planted on the beautiful floor. "I'll tell you anything you wanted to know, only if you provide me with _just _a bit of knowledge. I'm not one for being left out of the loop, and Sakura, my dear, you _are _the loop," he said quickly. Sakura smirked at him. _I see how he is,_ she thought.

"What do _you _want to know?" she asked, her eyes challenging his. A sly smile graced his face before answering.

"Where did you come from and how did you get here?" he asked, and Sakura smiled. _That's it? _she thought while smiling at him.

"I'm from Tokyo, Japan. I came here because of my pet snake, who could talk. He bit me during my sleep and I woke up here," she said, smiling broadly. Suigetsu frowned a bit.

"I wanted to know about your family, _where _you came from. You're parents," he said. Sakura frowned a bit, she didn't like to think of them often. It was painful for her, and she'd rather not talk about it. "It's your information for mine," Suigetsu said, noticing how she tensed up a bit. Sakura heaved a heavy sigh and ran her hands through her pink locks.

"My father was a soldier, who died when I was seven. He died during a mission, that I'm not supposed to know about. My mother died soon after," she said quickly. "Since then, I've moved from foster home to foster home, where I always ended up screwing up and being kicked out. I couldn't stay anywhere for more than a month. Eventually, I got kicked out of the system, and bought my own apartment," she said as quickly as she could. She tried to keep her voice calm, but Suigetsu noticed how venom leaked out when she mention 'kicked out'.

_So this 'savior' of sorts didn't have any parents, and moved constantly, _he thought. "My turn," she stated, causing Suigetsu to look up. "Tell me about this 'Dark Lord'. The book didn't mention him, and Itachi did. Something tells me that Sasuke and Naruto are keeping something from me, and I want to know what it is," Sakura said, looking Suigetsu in his violet eyes. A smile crossed his lips before he responded. Sakura could see the rows of sharp teeth the Suigetsu had at his disposal.

"His name is Orochimaru, and he'll kill you before you realize that he even existed."

_Well fuck me, _Sakura thought as stared at the butler with white hair and violet eyes.


	7. Orochimaru and Akatsuki

**At last I update! You already know this but I don't own Naruto. Thank You guys for the reviews, you made my heart happy and I vomited blood. XD Just kidding, even though my bum was vibrating today, not sure how. You guys probably don't wanna here about my awkward body issues, so I'll leave you with the chapter. Enjoy and drop a review.**

Sakura sighed and leaned against her headboard, trying to process what Suigetsu told her. She fluttered her jade eyes shut, trying to remember exactly what he said. She opened and closed her palms, and clenched her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. She squeezed her eyes tighter, in hopes that will make her remember every last detail of their conversation about this 'Dark Lord.'

"_He'll kill you before you even know it was him. He quick and cunning, and incredibly smart. Not to mention immensely powerful. You have to be to stay alive around here. Everyone you've seen in this land has the power to kill you in one - maybe two - simple moves. The smart people are the ones training everyday, making themselves stronger, instead of hiding and waiting on _you _to come and save them. Orochimaru has managed to strike fear into everyone's hearts, including Itachi's - if he still has one._

_He's clever and quick, and old. Some say he's over three hundred, even though he doesn't look a day over forty. I think he's around the age of fifty-four, fifty-six at the oldest. He hasn't lived that long without picking up a few secrets. It's not clear to most people what he wants, but I know, and completely understand. My dear cherry blossom, do you fear death?" _

_Sakura looked around herself, her eyes widening. She gulped and placed her head in her hands. _I am afraid of dying? _she thought. After thinking about it, she answered with a curt nod. "You can't be. Death is bound to happen, whether it be me, Tenten, Sasuke, Naruto, Orochimaru, Itachi, or yourself, sweetheart. It just happens in the world, you're going to have to get over it. You're not powerful enough to stop it, but Orochimaru is. Luckily, and unluckily for you, he's afraid of dying. He doesn't want his reign of terror to end, and I heard from my not-so-lovely bitch - I mean witch - associate that he's creating a special jutsu - technique - that allows him to live forever. _

_I'm not sure how it's supposed to work, she should be getting me that information next. All I know is that he needs a body, and Sasuke is a wonderful candidate. I also know that he will do absolutely _anything _and hurt anyone to get to what he wants, that includes little girls with pink hair and beautiful eyes.," he said, lifting her long pink hair and toying with it. Sakura looked down and Suigetsu lifted her chin back up, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "That's all I got, Sakura. Anything else I learn, I can trade with you. Your secrets for mine. Deal?" he said extending a pale hand. The smirk on his face allowed her to see more of his jagged teeth, causing her stomach to flip. Sighing, she put her much smaller hand in his and shook firmly. She got up to go back into the room that she'd woken up in._

_"Allow me to escort you, my lady," Suigetsu said, grabbing her arm. He turned off the blinding light and it and candle, carrying it with them. Quickly, he led the rosette to her room. When she arrived at the heavy door, he stopped her from entering. He bent his head down and purred in her ear softly._

_"Just a bit of advise, Sakura. I wouldn't trust the little 'story' the boys told you." She gave him a hesitant look. _What does he mean? Were they lying to me? _she thought nervously. He backed away from her, giving her space. "Prophecies and predictions can be wrong, myths are never real, and fairy tales don't always have a happy ending. I wouldn't rely on what they told you. _I _would try to gather as much information as I can, train as hard as I can, and not get distracted by anything. Then _maybe _you can be the heroine everyone talks about." She nodded quickly, and he blew out the candle, leaving her in darkness._

"Why wouldn't they tell me about Orochimaru?" she said asked softly to herself. Surely, they had to know about him, he'd been terrorizing their land for who knows how long. "Do they know about his plot?" she said, pacing around the room. She sighed and sat on the floor, thinking about what she should do. "If Suigetsu is right, then they're no way I'll be able to heal sick people, break curses, defeat the Itachi, the group of people who want Naruto's Kyuubi, _and _Orochimaru - even with Sasuke and Naruto's help. Not with the way I am now. I'm pathetic compared to them. What the hell am I going to do?" she sighed and tugged at her hair. A smile managed to creep it's way onto Sakura's face as she remembered what the oh-so-creepy-but-helpful-butler told her.

"I'll train, gather information and make sure I don't let these people down," she said boldly, but quietly. The last thing she wanted was wake someone. She didn't want to seem rude, or ungrateful. Or weak, although she probably made that impression, not being to walk down the stairs because of a sprain. She smiled slightly how Naruto carried her down the stairs, and how Lee didn't hesitate to slash his tounge for her. "I barely know them, but it seems like they care about me already," she said slowly. A smile appeared on her face. "If Suigetsu was willing to tell me all that, and Tenten trusted me so quickly, and Sasuke saving me and all..."

_So this is what it feels like have friends, _she thought, noting the fuzzy feeling she got in her heart when she thought about them. She knew she had to do everything in her power to protect them. "I swear on my father's grave, I won't let _anything _happen to them," she said confidently. With that, she went into the bathroom to take a shower and retire for bed.

On the sink she found a note. She picked it up and looked at it, expecting it to be from one of the castle's residences.

_Hello Cherry Blossom,  
_

_We'll be seeing you soon. You won't stop me, no matter how hard you hope or how much you try. We'll be one step ahead of you. And Sasuke. And Naruto. And Orochimaru. This is a warning - stay out of our way. Go home if you cam, it's the only place you're safe. Disrupt us, and we'll _break_ you like the cheap, plastic doll you are. We'll annihilate everyone you ever come in contact with. We'll destroy them and watch as you wither away. You'll be broken and they'll be gone. Then we're off to the next one.  
Just a warning, Sakura._

_-Akatsuki._

Sakura put the note down and audibly gulped. "So, they know where I am. I guess they are one step ahead. No matter, we're still going to defeat them," she said, feigning confidence. She realized quickly that Itachi's group sent it, no doubt talking about Naruto. She didn't know that a certain red-eyed man could hear every word she said.

"We'll see then, _Sa-ku-ra."_


	8. Tenten!

**So, I'm going to try and update everyday, even though that's an impossiblity. I love this story, and I'm sure you do too. I have a million other Naruto - related projects racing through my mind, and I know I can't handle three different stories, especially with one having a song in every chapter. So, I'm going to update quickly and hope I finish before the end of the summer. Let's see if we can get there, and know that our journey's just began. Thanks to everyone who faved, reviewed, and followed. I love you guys, so much! Okay, enough with the formalities we all know I don't own Naruto. Let's get on with the chapter.**

Sakura woke up the next day, feeling refreshed. She was well rested and ready to start training. She sighed, knowing her sensei wouldn't be here until next week. _Six - seven days, _she sighed and stretched her musceles. The ones in her arms were usually tired in the morning. "I can gather information on Orochimaru and the Akatsuki in the meantime," she said to herself, trying to figure out how she could make herself more useful. Right now, the only thing that might be able to keep her alive was that story - and it might not be real. _Sasuke didn't believe it until he met me, _she thought.

She swallowed and smiled, she was going to be an asset, and being smart was something was something she was good at. Back in Tokyo, she was the top of her class. She excelled at everything academic, but failed miserably in gym. That didn't earn her many friends, being smart and unathletic. Her bright pink hair and large forehead made her an easy target for bullies. She wasn't strong enough to physically fight them off, but she was able to block out their taunts. And she was smart enough to hide the brusies, she got from being pushed into lockers, with make up from the teachers. She was also pretty good in first aid, knowing how to treat minor cuts and nosebleeds. She knew to keep pressure on a wound and if something was sticking out of her, to keep it in. If she was ever stabbed - which she was but one of her foster parents did that - she knew not to take the knife out or she'd bleed to death.

Yes, Sakura Haruno was the strongest person around, but her intelligence made up for it ten fold. "But finding out about Orochimaru and the Akatsuki wouldn't be as simple as stealing the teacher's answers though," she said, thoughtfully tapping her chin. "I can only get so much from Suigetsu, and he's going to want something in return. Naruto might tell me something, but it might be something I already know. Sasuke probably won't tell me anything, he's a pretty quiet guy," she spoke softly and sat on the floor next to the bed. She smiled as an idea dawned on her. "Tenten!" she quietly shouted. "She might know something! If not, then she probably knows the land around here. She seems smart," Sakura said. "What _is _she doing here with Sasuke. Naruto is his best friend, and probably has been here forever. Suigetsu works here, but Tenten? I doubt if she'd let someone boss her around." Sakura thought.

She soon shrugged it off and looked at her - _Mikoto's_ - nightstand. She saw a white shirt and blue skirt, much like her school uniform, except there was no red dot on the back of her shirt. This shirt was plain and crisp. She smiled at the gesture. _This was Tenten, _she thought smiling. Quickly, she went into the bathroom to shower and change. Soon she was walking downstairs, her socked feet making little noise.

As she neared the kicthen, she could feel something. She didn't know what, but it felt powerful. It felt like it could blow her away, and it intimidated her. Even though she could tell that this...force...wasn't going to hurt her, it intimidated her. She walked toward this sense of power, eager to find out what it was. She could hear footsteps coming cloer to her - as well as the force. She put on a face of false confidence - one that she was used to wearing due to her years of bullying_. So it's a person. They must be really strong, _she thought as she walked toward the person. She walked into the kitchen to find Tenten throwing out wilted roses. She smiled as she saw the person. _Tenten is that great force? _she thought. "Good morning, Sakura-san," Tenten, not looking behind her. "I trust you slept well?" she said softly, causing Sakura to smile.

"Good morning, Tenten-chan. Can you pleave the formalities at a minimum? I slept fine, thank you. What about you?" she said, sitting down in one of the chairs. Tenten turned to her and smiled brightly, holding dead flowers.

"I was fine. I just had to wake up early today to get you sime clothes. That green dress still won't clean," she said throwing the roses in the garbage and sitting next to the girl who nodded in understandment. "Sakura...would you like to go to town with me today? We can pick you out a new wardrobe so you don't have to keep borrowing my clothes," Tenten was with a small smile. Sakura smiled brightly at her.

"Of course I'd like to go with you, but they're a bad person after me," she said sorrowfully, which made Tenten laughed. Sakura gave a confused glance at the confused teenager.

"Who? Itachi? He's a very...complex man. He likes you to know that there's nothing you can do what he comes after you. He wants you to feel powerless, hopeless, and completely distraught. Like there's nothing in the world that could save you. He'll tease and show off, but he'd never attack in public. Daylight, yes, but not public. The last thing he would want is someone growing a pair and helping you," she said with a scoff.

"How do you know this?" Sakura said, feeling very smart because she knew Tenten was smarter than she looked. Tenten's smirk disappeared for a second and she lifted up her shirt. A deep scar traced her side, making Sakura cringe. Tenten closed her eyes for a moment than pulled her shirt down, covering the old wound.

"He attacked me and my," she looked down, tears threatened to leak from her eyes. "Boyfriend one day, and we narrowly escaped with our lives. I'll tell you anything else on the way to town," she said, regaining ehr cool composure. Sakura smiled and put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Before we go, we should takesome precautions. We don't want to take a bigger chance than we are now," Tenten said, pulling Sakura upstairs. She walked down a long corridor, one Sakura wasn't familiar with and sat her down on the bed. This room was a bright red, having crimson decorations. She saw a few weapons adorning the walls, and Sakura hoped they were just decoration.

"No one here has pink hair. Red, yes. And sometimes silver, but never have I _ever _seen a person with pink hair, except for you Sakura. Most people have brown or black hair, so that's what you'll have for a few hours," Tenten said, pulling out two wigs. One black and extremely curly the other brown and straight. Both of them had bangs long enough to shield her forehead and possibly eyebrows. She held them out to Sakura, as if silently telling her to pick. Sakura grabbed the black one and set it on the bed. A few moments later, her hair was in a tight bag, hidden by the black wig. Tenten smiled graciously at her, which she gave a small smile too.

"You're eyes are very distinctive. I hate to say it, but we'll have to hide those." Sakura frowned and Tenten ruffled her now black tresses. With that Tenten gave Sakura a range of colors to pick from. Looking over them, she saw a still gray color, which she picked. Tenten smiled and gave Sakura the contacts, which she promptly put in. Tenten smiled at her brightly.

"You don't look like Sakura anymore, and that's good. Let's go!" she said, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the castle quickly. Sakura couldn't help but smile at her, she was really something.


	9. Tunnels

**Hello, gorgeouses! I'm bestowing you with the gift of updates. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, you guys deserve alpacas and fluffy chickens! Proud announcement! I've a new wife..on fanfiction that is. lolajam77!**

**Everyone! My birthday...is Sunday. I'll be spending it with Kiba and Akamaru! Okay, I don't want to waste anymore time, so let's get this chapter started.**

**Side note - Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth is adorable! I plan on reading it when I get caught up on Naruto - manga version.**

**Other side note - ChuluSampai is writing a story called 'Daughters of the Akatsuki.' It sounds interesting so I suggest you check it out. ;)**

Sakura looked to the girl gripping her arm loosely. Tenten smiled at her pulled her through the long underground corridor that led to a rose garden behind the castle. Sakura couldn't help but feel anxiety creep upon her. _What if someone recognized me?_ she thought, swallowing hard. Tenten looked over at nervous, younger teenager.

"Sakura, stop worrying. _I'm _not allowed out of the castle anymore, but I go daily. Sasuke hasn't caught me yet and Sui isn't a tattle tale. You're safe with me. Besides, only Itachi and his parents knows this tunnel exists, and if Itachi was going to break in, he would've already done it," Tenten said in a relaxed voice. Sakura calmed down a bit and looked around. The floor was gray concrete and the walls were stone. It was hot and tight (that's what he said), but Sakura wasn't complaining. Her eyes drifted to Tenten's back, and she got lost in thought. _That note...Itachi must've snuck in last night and placed it in the room. I doubt if Suigetsu knows. He's sneaky and sly, but not stupid. I'm sure he would've told Sasuke or warned me. He didn't touch me, though. What _is _he up to? _she thought. _Tenten might know, _she concluded.

"Tenten, you mentioned the Akatsuki back in your room," Sakura began. Tenten 'hm'ed and kept walking, getting closer to a large steel door. She sighed heavily and continued walking. "Why did they attack you and your boyfriend?" Sakura asked. Tenten froze and she could hear her breath hitch. The brown-eyed girl turned around and stared at the shorter girl. "I'm sorry! I don't mean to prod or be rude, but I found something and I think it might help me protect you. Hell, protect Sasuke and Naruto. It might even help me protect myself."

Tenten's blank stare became one of sorrow. "His name was - _is - _Neji. He was born into the branch Hyuuga clan, a very powerful family. They have this trait - the byakugan. The Akatsuki wanted it, and they new they couldn't get close to the only remaining memberof the main family - Neji's cousin, Hinata. So they setttled on the sext best thing, Neji. They attacked us when were we out collecting weapons for the arsenal when the came. There were at least four of them, though I can't be sure. They fought hard, but slipped up, and that's when we ran. Sasuke had to call the Witch of the Black Forest -Tsunade - to heal us. And when she did, she put Neji and Hinata under a sleep spell, that only she can undo," Tenten said slowly, and Sakura blinked.

_They must be after unique abilities, and will do anything to get them. Even attack Tenten. We - Sasuke, Naruto, and I - have to wake him and his cousin, _Sakura thought. "Do they know where he and Hinata are at?" Sakura asked, tilting Tenten's head up. _She's not the type of girl to frown. It doesn't look natural, _she thought, flashing a small smile towards her.

"I don't even know where they're at. All I know is that they're in some type of cemetary and they're in glass coffins. It could be here or in the Black Forest, where Tsunade and Shizune reside," Tenten said, looking at the gray covered eyes. In a moment, she saw Tenten flash a look of vulernabilty in her eyes. Something she's never seen in this girl.

"We'll find them, and wake them up. I promise on my life," Sakura said, pulling the older girl in for a hug. Tenten melted into her and sheded a few tears that she'd been holding in for months. She never cried.

Not when her parents died, leaving her in the care of Mikoto and Fugaku.

Not when her brother disappeared in the Black Forest, abandoning her.

She didn't cry when Itachi killed her would - be parents.

And she didn't cry when the love of her life left her and never came back.

But right now, she was crying, in the arms of someone she barely even knew as well. She couldn't hold it on anymore. The tears flowed like a dam had broke in back of her eyes. _I just...I just can't do it anymore, _she said. She hugged the smaller girl back, squeezing her tightly. "I miss them," she breathed. "I miss them all."

"We're going to get Neji and Hinata back," Sakura said, standing frim on her point. With that, she pulled away and dried her eyes. She broke down, and pulled herself back together in a matter of minutes. "Now, let's go shopping. That always used to cheer me up when I was back in Tokyo," Sakura said, pulling the girl down the tunnel and towards the steel door. Tenten smiled and ran with her.

Carefully, Tenten examined the door. "That's odd," she said quietly, noticing the place of the handle. Sakura shot a confused glance at her, prompting her to voice what was odd.

"What's odd, Tenten?" Sakura said, studying the door. She ushered Sakura to be quiet. Quickly, Tenten produced a kunai and slowly opened the door. Peering out, she saw a garden of white roses, and one distinctive pink one. Sighing, she walked out and walked over to the pink rose, and noticed a note attached to it. _For my Cherry Blossom, _it read. "What was wrong, Tenten?"

"You're secret admirer snuck in last night," Tenten said. "Did anything seem wrong in your room this morning?"

"I got a note," Sakura said softly.

"From?"

"Akatsuki." Tenten looked at her and sighed.

"We're going shopping. Then I'm teaching you how to fight," Tenten said, pulling the girl away from the castle and into the barren village.


	10. Fairy Tale Endings

**Hello, lovelies! Happy SasuSaku month, and sorry for updating this late. I had an accident, but I'm fine. Hope your enjoying your day. SASUSAKU FOREVER! I DON'T OWN NARUTO! WHY AM I TYPING IN ALL CAPS?**

Tenten dragged Sakura around the abandoned town, laughing along the way. The sky was clear and Sakura's anxiety from earlier was slowly ebbing away. She allowed herself to relax and now, she was actually having a little fun with the brunette. _So this is what having friends feels like, _she thought with happiness radiating off Tenten and onto her. "So, are we...friends, Tenten?" Sakura asked randomly. Tenten looked at her with a broad smile.

"Sakura-chan, of course we're friends! I wouldn't take you into town if I didn't like you. I don't take Sasuke with me," she said, smiling at the smaller girl. Sakura gave her a broad smile, mimicking her. "I hear this myth mentions you marrying a certain black haired prince. I guess your definitely getting a fairy tale ending," Tenten said, sending Sakura a wink. Sakura laughed and blushed at the comment.

"I'm not the type to believe in kid's stories," Sakura said, waving off Tenten's comment. "He's cute and all, but I can't say anything for sure. I barely had any conversation with him," she said laughing.

"Sasuke isn't the type of guy to hold a conversation," Tenten said, looking at the girl wearing a wig. "He was, before Mikoto and Fugaku died. But now, he's goal oriented. He probably won't open up to you for a while, but as soon as the war is over, he's going to notice that he's head over heels for you." Sakura's eyes widened.

"Head over heels? Don't you think that's a little too fast?" Sakura said, fighting the blush that desperately wants to show. Tenten lauged at her.

"All Uchiha's fall in love at first sight. It happened to all of them. When they see the lucky girl, they know it's who they want to spend the rest of their lives 's been like that for centuries," Tenten said, getting a dreamy look on her face. "Fugaku found Mikoto at a party and told her, and I quote, 'You're the one who's going to bear my children.' She slapped him, and that's when he knew for sure."

"How romantic," Sakura said sarcastically. "My mother avoided my dad for months. He constantly followed her, trying to get her to go out with him. She said she felt sorry for him one day, and went on a date with him. It was the single best night of her life," she said, making Tenten laugh.

"So a pity date turned out to be her best? Unbelievable. My parents were an arranged marriage, to different people. My mom stood her betrothed up at the alter, and was deemed unworthy. My dad calmly broke his engagement off by telling his parents to shove off. Eventually, they got together." Tenten said, looking at the sky. The clouds twisted into distorted images, making her smile. She could've sworn in that moment, she felt Neji looking at her.

"It seems like everyone made it to their fairy tale ending," Sakura said with a ghost of a smile grazing her lips. Tenten loked at her woth a bittersweet smile.

"Even if I don't get a fairy tale ending, at least I had magical moments. Everyone will still have a happily ever after. You and Sasuke, Naruto and whoever he takes an interest in, Suigetsu might grow a pair and ask his witch/informant to marry him," Tenten said giving a bright smile. Upon seeing a clothing store, the two girls ran in. She saw a bright girl sitting behind the register.

"Hi Tenten," she said, looking at the younger girl. "And I see you've bought a friend." Tenten looked at the girl and smiled.

"Hey Yuuhi," she greeted. "This is Ayame, she's going to be coming with me in here from now on." Yuuhi smiled at the girl, showing a missing tooth.

"Hello Ayame, I'm Yuuhi and this is my store. Tenten is my only customer. Take whatever you want, it's all free. There's no use for it now, I guess." Sakura smiled at her and snickered.

"Thank you," she said. "Time me?" she asked and Yuuhi looked at the clock.

"Go!" she shouted and Sakura and Tenten were off, picking up everything they could.

**Seventeen minutes later.**

"You cleared my store," Yuuhi said, looking in disbelief. Sakura smiled and walked out the store with a happy 'Thanks!' Tenten smiled at her and walked out as well.

"So we're going to put this stuff up, then I'll train you," Tenten said, walking toward the castle. Sakura could see it wasn't far, but they had to go through the back. _The pink rose, _she thought. She absent-mindedly reached for her hair, where the bright pink rose stood against her black wig. _They're going to find em, _she thought. She put on a confident smirk, and walked through the big steel door upon arriving at the castle. _And I'll be ready._

"Meet me by the garden tomorrow," Tenten said as they walked past her room. Sakura nodded and walked down the long corridor, leading to the other half of the castle. She took the black wig off, and let her pink locks down. She carried it in one hand while the other one held all of the clothes.

SHe walked past the white haired butler who stopped her. "You're in trouble~" he sang. "Sasuke-sama is looking for you, has been since this morning. He wants to talk to you, what of, I'm not sure. I _do _know the Akatsuki left you a note, and a pretty rose in the garden. You might not want to mention the rose," Suigetsu said, smiling the girl. He bowed in mock respect then disappeared down the corridor.

_Shit, _Sakura thought as she opened her door, only to find an angry-looking Sasuke, holding a small piece of paper. "Where were you, Sakura?" he said, looking at her. She glanced at him nervously, her eyes not leaving the small paper in his hands. "Sakura," he sighed. "You can't just leave without anyone knowing."

"Tenten knew," she said, putting the clothes in the closet, one by one. She refused to look at Sasuke, but she knew he was glaring at him. He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder, showing that he wasn't _too _pissed.

"You went out with _Tenten?" _he asked, in disbelief. Sakura turned and nodded eagerly. "That explains the bad disguise," he said, pointing to her eyes, which were still covered by contacts. She pouted lightly at him, causing him to smirk. "You got a note, from the Akatsuki," he said, the smirk fading. "Do you know who they are?" he said.

"Aren't they the people who want Naruto's kyuubi and me dead?" she asked, earning a nod from him.

"They're very dangerous criminals, and they're going to kill you if you keep leaving without telling me or Naruto. You have no means of defense besides us, and they wouldn't want you alive. It's safer of you were to stay indoors. Going outside is suicide, and it's a wonder that you're standing in front of me, completely unscathed. Somehow, one of them managed to get in. What puzzles me is that you're still breathing. Even Itachi wouldn't let go of such an easy target."

"What do you think they're doing?" she asked, looking at Sasuke. His dark eyes were clouded over with curiosity and a hint of anger.

"I'm not sure, but what _we're_ doing is switching rooms and calling Kakashi early. It won't do much, but it's something. I - the kingdom - can't lose you. You're our last hope. Everyone who has locked themselves in their houses or who've cursed themselves are relying on you. I - _they - _need you. They might not mean anything to you, but they're _everything_ to me and Naruto and we can't let you go outside. It's too risky. If something happens to you - then we're all screwed. I can't and won't let anything happen to you, Sakura."

"I haven't met anyone here beside you all, and a lady named Yuuhi. I don't know the people, but I'll do anything to protect them. They're living in fear because of a stupid group of people and one evil bastard and it's not right! They're relying on me, and I don't plan on letting them down. If I can't go outside, fine. I just want to make everything right, cause everything's so fucked up here. I'm going to do everything that I can to help you all, Sasuke. I'll try not to do stuff like that again."

Sasuke paused and looked at the girl in front of him. He wasn't sure when, but she removed the gray contacts and he could see her jade eyes livid and bright. She held a face of determination, her eyes focused. Her hair was a bit tousled and messy, but all in all, he had to admit that the seventeen year old was stunning. He could feel the seriousness radiating from her. _She's beautiful, _he thought._ I wouldn't mind spending everyday just like this, _he thought. A slight blush washed over her when she realized that he was staring at her. _This cannot be happening right now. We're in the middle of a crisis, Sasuke. You can't get attached. You don't know whether or not you're going to survive it. Now's not the time for this, _he thought. Shaking his head, he made his way to the door, signaling Sakura to follow him.

They walked down the corridor until they reached the fifth door, the one farthest away from her room. "This is my room. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come down here," Sasuke said, about to go in his room. "Tomorrow, you and Suigetsu's room will be switched, putting you closer to Naruto and I," he said, pointing to the door next to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura," he said. Before he could walk in Sakura grabbed his arm.

"Sasuke...do you believe in fairy tales? Or love at first sight?" she asked. Her jade orbs softened, her features relaxed. A small smile made its way to her lips. "It's just a question. You don't have to answer it," she added quickly. A smile, hollow smile made its way to Sasuke's mouth.

_You really are beautiful, _he thought. "When I was younger, I didn't. But now...now I'm not too sure, Sakura." She nodded and bid him farewell and went back into her room.

_"All Uchiha's fall in love at first sight. It happened to all of them. When they see the lucky girl, they know it's who they want to spend the rest of their lives with. It's been like that for centuries," Tenten said, getting a dreamy look on her face. _Sakura smiled at the memory as she collapsed onto her the bed in her new pajamas. "Love at first sight? Fairy tales? I don't know if all that exist, but I know that there is something between me and Sasuke. Something," she said, drifting off to sleep.


	11. Sasuke's Thoughts

**Hello, beautiful! Sorry I haven't updated, but I was busy. Lo siento... Anywho, I bring you the next chapter. What do I own? Not the characters! Random question, Do any of you guys listen to My Chemical Romance or Papa Roach? Make sure you guys review and pm me! *Red string in Japanese culture binds two soul mates. It's said that a red string is tied around two people's pinkies, binding them. Ergo - soul mates. **

Sasuke leaned against his door, hearing Sakura's soft footsteps become farther away from him. Upon hearing her door shut from down the hall, he let out the deep breath he didn't know he was holding. His palms were sweaty. His heartbeat was erratic. His stomach felt heavy and empty. He felt nervous and sticky and sweaty and Sakura was really pretty. "Damnit," he swore. He pursed his lips in a tight line, not wanting to display any emotion. "This can't be happening. Not now, at least." he said, beginning to pace back and forth. "No, no, no, no." He would've ran a hole through his floors if he didn't stop to look in the mirror. Noticing his reflection, he sighed heavily. His ebony hair was disheveled, his licorice eyes nearly popping out of his head. His trademark Uchiha smirk was no where in sight. He sat on his bed and held his head in his hands.

"What the fuck is happening to me?" he asked himself. He let his thoughts drift back top the girl staying a few rooms down from him. When he first saw her, being held underwater by his brother, he knew he had to help her. But that was out of kindness. No way was Itachi going to hurt someone on his watch. He'd already hurt too many people as it was. Not another life was going to be lost at his hands. He was just trying to be a good person, nothing more, nothing less. _'Look what being a good person has gotten you, Sasuke,' _a voice in the back of his head hissed painfully. He winced at it and sighed.

_'You don't own me and you _won't _control me,' _Sasuke thought hatefully, shutting the voice up for a brief moment. The first time he saw her face, he felt something going off in his head. He knew that seeing her...she was important. She was going to be a prominent figure in his life, he just didn't know how prominent. He would shrug it off and carry her back to the castle with him, hoping to figure out who the mystery girl was. He knew he remembered hearing (or was it seeing?) bright pink hair and (beautiful, amazing, wonderous) green eyes before. It wasn't until he bought her back to the castle that he realized who this girl was.

She was the famous cherry blossom from story. She was the girl who was going to save everyone in the miserable land. She was going to be the one who defeated the Akatsuki and freed the citizens from their horrible existences.

That meant that he was the Prince. Itachi was the evil brother. Naruto was the Kyuubi host, and future king. And that Sasuke was going to end up marrying the girl down the hall. So he did the only thing he could think of, staying as far away from her as possible.

He didn't believe in fairy tales, but the pieces fit so perfectly together. The fairy tale wasn't just a fairy tale, it was prophecy. But he had a healthy amount of doubt in mind that it wasn't completely accurate. He could tell that something was off about it. _Nothing _ever had a happily ever after without some sick twist. A wrinkle in the corner of the page. He couldn't fall in love with Sakura. Something was going to happen if he did, he could just _feel _it.

After all, it _was _the start of a war between the royal family. Sasuke didn't need to fall in love without knowing what was going to happen. Itachi was unpredictable, and so was the Akatsuki. And admittedly, he was too. He couldn't tell what he would do sometimes. He couldn't risk hurting himself, hurting her, hurting the kingdom. It was too great of a gamble. If he did fall in love and she got hurt, he might not be able to defeat Itachi. The only way he would be able to is if he listened to the voice in the back of his mind, trying to control every thought. And if he gave into the voice, his kingdom wouldn't be safe. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the once great land would go down in flames if that ever happened.

On the other hand, if he fell for her and she survived, then he could save the kingdom effortlessly. Everything would be how they're supposed to be, and nobody suffers anymore. He could finally stop fighting. They're wouldn't be a war to fight anymore. He'd be _happy. _

And as much as he wanted to believe that the second option could happen, there was a greater chance of it not happening. He couldn't do it, it would put so many lives in jeopardy. Sasuke wasn't one to make irrational decisions, but he wouldn't take a chance.

He should've known that he was bound to talk to her at sometime. During that first conversation was when he noticed just how beautiful she was. He tried to be as calm as he could, but something about her made him nervous. Something about those piercing green eyes made his heart race and practically leap out of it's chest. Something about that bright, loud hair made him want to smile as brightly as hair. The way she spoke put butterflies in his stomach and her smile sent them in a frenzy. Her dedication to the land is what tied it all together. She barely knew the place, but her only focus was to help out. She was willing to put her life on the line for people she didn't even know. _That's _what turned him into a quivering, sniveling, worrying mess that he was.

It was times like these where he hated being an Uchiha. Most - if not all - fell in love at first sight. Something just lit a flame and they could see the red string* attached to their pinkies. He didn't need to fall in love. He _didn't want_ to fall in love. He _couldn't _fall in love.

Laying down on his bed, he let his mind drift back to the Haruno girl who was probably sleeping down the hall. He could imagine the peaceful look on her face as she dreamt of Kami knows what. Closing his eyes, he sighed.

"Fuck my life," he grumbled. "That Sakura girl worked her way under my skin already," he said, deciding to get some sleep before the next day. He had a lot of work to do, switching the Sakura and Suigetsu's rooms.

On the other side of the wall, Suigetsu smirked. "So Sasuke-sama has a little crush on Sakura-chan. How interestingly cute," he said, blowing out the candles by his nightstand which was conveniently so close to Sasuke-sama's wall. With careful listening, he was able to hear the Uchiha's mini-conversation with himself.

**Sakura's room**

The rosette was calmly sleeping in her room when a cool hand pressed against her throat, startling her awake. Her livid jade eyes were met by fiery red ones. Opening her mouth to scream, another hand was placed on top of it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the man said, giving her a soft smile. His eyes scrunched up and his tear troughs moved with his face. She frowned at him, clearly not amused. His grip on her throat tightened on her throat causing her to wince in pain. "I'll uncover your mouth, but you have to be quiet. Okay, Sakura-hime?" the man said, his hand moving from Sakura's mouth. Sakura was going to scream, but the hand was still on her throat. "Good girl. Now, we're going to give you and Sasuke-kun a scare. Is that alright?" he asked sarcastically.

Sakura growled at him lowly, "Go to hell, Itachi." The man gasped in an attempt to look offended.

"Sakura-hime! I thought we were better friends than that!"

"Fuck you!" she said loudly, causing Itachi to grab her throat again. She tried not to show just how scared she was, and stuck her tounge out a him.

"Princesses aren't supposed to use that type of language, Sakura-hime!" he said, giving her throat a tight squeeze. She glared at him, using all the hate she had. His red eyes swirled darkly, making her want to look away, but she couldn't. She was trapped in his gaze. "Until the day I die, all of your dreams will show all the people you care about dying. Every last person who've ever cared about will die, by your very hand. You see how it feels, Sakura-_hime._"

With that, Itachi left and Sakura fell back asleep.

_"Mom?"_


	12. Nightmares

**Hello, beautiful! Sorry I haven't updated, but I was busy with the fourth coming and then my aunts' birthday on the sixth and mine seventh. Sorry. Anyways, I'm fourteen now, and I've got to go to my Mexican's house, cause she made me cake. So read and review for me? Please?**

_Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. In front of her, in all her blond-haired, green-eyed glory, was Mebuki Haruno. Sakura's dear mother. Correction - Sakura's dearly _deceased _mother. She had her back turned, but Sakura just _knew _it was her. "Mom?!" she said, looking at the woman, who then turned to face her. _It's her, _she thought happily, and ran to hug her. Quickly, the pair of arms wrapped around the smaller girl. "Mom, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, pulling away to stare at the piercing jade orbs, the same pair that she had._

_"Making dinner, silly," Mebuki said, ruffling the girl's hair. Sakura gave a confused glance at the older woman. Tears began to well in her eyes, but she refused to let them go. _You finally have your mother back, _she thought, shaking her head violently. _You are not going to cry,_ she thought. Straightening her self, she walked around the house. _Something's off, _she thought, but pushed the thought aside. Sakura could always tell when something was wrong, but she knew this was right. It had to be right._

_Soft yellow paint decorated the small kitchen. Various pictures hung from the walls and mahogany cabinets were closed tightly. She wanted to reach out a small finger and touch what could be her favorite childhood home, but she was afraid that if she touched it, it would crumple and fade away. She marveled at the small kitchen, feeling happier. _I'm back home! _she thought happily. Her happiness soon faded into curiosity and sadness._

But...back home mom's dead, and I live on my own, _she thought sadly. She masked her sadness and approached the woman in the kitchen. _Just remember, she's not your mother. Your mother died. She's dead. Whoever that is, she's not real, _she thought. She put on a mask of indifference and tapped the woman who was chopping vegetables swiftly. "Mom," she nearly hissed. "What are you doing?" she asked, eyeing the knife._

_"I already told you, cherry blossom. I'm making dinner," she said, with a hint of honey in her voice. Sakura didn't buy it for a second. Her jade eyes narrowed at the blond. She clenched her fist, prepared to attack the woman. She shifted her weight onto her left side, eyeing the woman up and down. _

_"You're dead," she deadpanned. This made 'Mebuki' turn around and stare at the girl, wiping her hands on her shirt. "My mother died in a fire when I was seven at two thirty-two p.m. You're not my mom," she said, her voice calm. She pointed an accusing finger at her before continuing. "You have twenty seconds to tell me who you are before I tear you apart," Sakura said, grabbing the knife that was behind the older blond._

_"Sakura, put down the knife," she said sternly. Sakura didn't budge. "Now," she said threateningly._

_"Wrong answer," Sakura said, lunging at her, who quickly moved out of the way. Sakura quickly pounced on top of her, straddling her stomach. She thrusted the knife into her thigh, earning a shrill shriek. Tears streamed down the older woman's face. "Who are you?!" she yelled, putting the knife to her throat. The older woman shrieked again, causing Sakura's heart to race. _What if she _is _my mom? _she thought, but quickly shook it away. _Mom's dead, _she thought. _

_"Who the hell are you?!" Sakura asked again, only met with a shriek. "Tell me!" she yelled, banging the woman's head on the ground. Another blood chilling scream filled the house._

_She could smell, smoke but she wasn't letting the imposter up._

_"Sakura! It's me!" the woman desperately screamed, squeezing Sakura's heart. "Let me go! Sakura!" she screamed, and Sakura nearly got off her. Nearly. Tears streamed down Sakura's face, and she wasn't sure whether it was because of the heat or the fact that this woman claimed to be her mother. _My mother's dead! _she thought angrily. _

_"My mother's dead!" she said, slashing the woman's throat. Jade eyes widened, then closed dripped down onto the woman's face. "My mom's dead," she said again, sobbing onto the woman's chest._

_Flames spread and burn around her, but she's too busy sobbing to notice._

_"She's gone!" she screamed, pulling the body forward. "She's gone and I can't get her back!"_

_The flames came closer, attacking the cabinets._

_When it dawned on her that she should leave, it was too late. The flames were licking her legs, burning the skin off of them. A pain screamed was heard before the world faded to black._

Her eyes flashed gold before settling back into their usual jade color. Her breathing was heavy and she felt uneasy. She looked around, expecting to see a yellow kitchen, but was met with a cool gray stone wall. Sakura looked around the room, unsure of where she was. It wasn't until she spotted the tiara resting on a nightstand that she remembered that she was in the castle.

She glanced at the clock on the wall seeing that it was just after four. "My mom's dead," she reminded herself, brushing away the sweat the stuck to her forehead. "She's not coming back, and no matter what anyone dies, she will stay dead," she said, stepping into the bathroom with a change of clothes.

After showering and brushing her teeth, she went outside of her room to explore the castle. "If I'm going to stay here, I need to know my way around," she said. She walked down the corridor and towards Naruto's and Sasuke's rooms. She smiled as she walked passed, following the dark hallway. The only source of light came from the candles that were lit. She walked down that hallway until she came to a staircase.

It wasn't like anything she'd seen before. It winded down and had scarlet carpet covering the steep steps. The handrail was silver and it seemed to sparkle. It went down at least four flights. She smiled as she walked down all four of them coming to a large library.

"Morning, Sakura," a voice said. She slightly jumped and turned slightly to find Sasuke smirking at her. He was reading some book on a leather sofa. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked, inviting her to sit with him. She smiled softly and sat beside him.

"Terrible dream," she said, her gaze downwards.

"Aa. What was it about?" he asked, closing his book. Sakura could see gold letters on it, but couldn't make out what it said.

"My mother," she answered briskly. Sasuke nodded, but said nothing. Noticing the awkward silence, she continued. "My parents died when I was young, and I haven't talked about them much. I think about them a lot, but I've never had a dream about them."

"Hn," he said. "What was in this dream?" he asked. A small frown adorned Sakura's features as she told him. He listened intently, and tried to focus on what she was saying instead of the way her lips barely moved while speaking.


	13. Sasuke's Protecter and Arch Enemy

**Hello there, Mr/Ms. Reader. How are you today? I'm feeling wonderful. I'd feel even better if I owned Naruto, but I don't. *Sighs* Oh well, your lovely reviews and people following and add this story to favorites almost makes up for it. I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed, you guys make me so incredibly happy.**

Uchiha Itachi wasn't born a bad guy, oh no. Far from it, in fact. He was painfully shy and rather quiet as a boy, but never bad. He minded his parents, paid attention during lessons, helped out as much as he could, and always cleaned up after himself. He never liked too much company; the princes weren't shy like him and easily grew bored of him and he was always flustered when princesses from far away lands came. He couldn't help it though, it was just his nature.

He was always incredibly aware of his surroundings and knew how to act in a time of crisis. Amazingly intelligent, he managed to outsmart his sensei during games of shoji time and time again. He was able to memorize anything after a few glances which amazed everyone in the castle, besides him. He always amazed the people around him, but never himself. He was aware of his abilities, but never arrogant. Arrogance was one of the few things in people he despised.

Partnered along with his handsome features, some would say that he was the perfect son. And Mikoto or Fugaku wouldn't say he was, although never saying he was. In the words of the late queen, "No child is more perfect than another, ours is just...different."

He wouldn't give the paparazzi - if they could be called that - anything to work with, always remaining quiet. The most anyone besides his parents or Sasuke could get from him was a half-smile, and if they're lucky, a laugh.

Sasuke was the only one who could get a reaction from Itachi without trying. It was safe to say that Sasuke was his best friend, and vice versa. It was common to see the two around each other, locked in some deep conversation, usually not making any sense. It was a heartwarming sight to see. The two were around each other so much, it was said that they were attached at the hip. The only time Itachi was away from Sasuke was when Sasuke was either napping or the press was photographing him, which was a semi commmon thing. Itachi might not have been social, but Sasuke was. The media ate the young child up, and he didn't mind. He was bubbly, attentive, and naturally sweet.

He never had any reason to act out. He had a picture perfect family - one filled with love and laughter, especially since baby Sasuke was always finding himself in trouble -, a wonderful home, and a life were he never had to work a day in his life.

So when his parents were murdered at age fourteen, he was stunned. He couldn't say he didn't expect it. There was thousand of bets on Fugaku's head and it was rumored that an assassin lurked in the hallways of Uchiha Castle. Everyone would've thought it was the butler. He was very old, and constantly complained about working there, the only light in his world being his young grandson, Suigetsu. He was the number one person on Itachi's suspect list.

No one would've dreamt that the kingdom's perfect prince would be the one wielding the sword, stained with the King and Queen's blood. He was just as confused as everyone else ion the land, but apparently _he _was the bad guy is this fairy tale kingdom. He didn't know when or how, but his parents were killed with his sword that was in his hand. He was the one who bought so many people suffering. His parents were killed by him. He was the _bad guy._

He soon realized that it was the story. The fairy tale that amazed him, but he never believed in. It was real, and it was about _him _and his dear brother, Sasuke. And that he was destined to lose. Itachi Uchiha was the bad guy in this fairy tale, and his brother and some girl with green eyes and pink hair was going to kill him. That wasn't what made him as angry as he is today. He was perfectly fine with paying for what he did with his life, and happy that his brother would the one taking him. In a way, he felt honored. His baby brother, _his best friend_ was going to make everything right.

The way it was supposed to be.

No, he was ecstatic about that. What made him angry and drove him mad was that Sasuke wasn't taking over the kingdom, _the Kyuubi host _was. And he wasn't Sasuke's best friend anymore, _the Kyuubi host was. _How dare he! Did he think he could make a better king than Sasuke?! Did he think he could make a better friend than Itachi?! A monster?! He's nothing more than a body for a demon! How dare he even dream of replacing the royal brothers?!

He _shouldn'tcouldn'twon't _replace them. Itachi would make sure of that.

Itachi was meant for another source of power - the legendary tailed beast. For the rest of his life, he would strive to collect all of the tailed beast, and make sure his brother would never be outdone, by any means neccesary.

He knew that girl - _Sakura - _was going to be Sasuke's downfall. She was girl who was going to help that - that _monster and utter disgrace to Konoha _become king. The nerve of that girl! _She _was the mainn problem. Without her around, everything would stay the same. Sasuke would be controlling the kingdom, the Kyuubi host will have desire for it, and he could continue watching from the sidelines. Without that wretched girl, everything would be fine. She was poison, and Sasuke _didn'tshouldn'twon't _be around her.

So he dedicated his life to any evil organization, the Akatsuki, in hopes of capturing the demon, and killing the host. Maybe then Sasuke would take his rightful place as king. After all, Itachi was never meant for the throne. He was timid and awfully cautious, he couldn't handle being the king. It was Sasuke's, and that was that.

Itachi was meant for another source of power - tailed beast. For the rest of his life, he would strive to collect all of the tailed beast, and make sure his brother would never be outdone, by any means neccesary.

He was a bad guy after all, why should he care who he hurt? As long as no one stood against Sasuke, he was fine.

And to make sure Sasuke was protected, he'd first get rid of that dreadful girl. It should be easy enough, as long as Sasuke didn't catch wind of what was happening. She was a weak fool, and didn't belong in Sasuke's perfect kingdom. Then, he'd take the beast and kill the host. The plan is simple enough, and he'd make sure not a hair of Sasuke's head was out-of-place.


	14. Suigetsu's Busy Day

**Hi! You guys have waited, so I bring the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy, I worked hard on it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are the reason I write.  
Disclaimer - Disclaimed. I couldn't write as well as Kishimoto if I tried.**

Suigetsu walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast when he ran into Tenten. When he bowed respectfully, she scoffed at him and pulled him up. "When are you going to stop bowing to me?" she asked, her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. She leaned on the doorway, studying the butler. He wasn't dressed in his usual attire, a purple shirt rivialing his eyes and a blue pants, but instead a pair of black dress pants and a bright white shirt. "Someone looks fancy," she said, adding a slight whistle. He chuckled softly and turned toward her. "Going to visit your witchy friend?"

"Yeah, she sent a messenger mouse saying she has stuff to tell me," he said, turning around to face the stove. Her brown eyes diverted back and forth between the oven and his suit. _He's going to get himself dirty, _she thought, tsking him away from the oven. He looked surprised, but seeing her manuever through the cupboards, he smiled slightly, his sharp teeth peeking out. "And Miss Tenten, what the hell are you doing? You're not the type of person to handle cooking, especially for other people," he said. She turned to face him and smiled brightly, the corners of his lips turned upwards more so than already.

"No, but I am the type of person who appreciates nice clothing: female. I couldn't stand it if you turned that white shirt a different color trying to make breakfast," she said, reaching for a box on the top shelf. Seeing her struggle, Suigetsu grabbed the box and handed it to her, earning a small glare. "I had it under control," she said, a pout on her lips.

"Sure you did," he said with a roll of his bright purple eyes. A glare was sent his way, then the shorter girl went back to work. "You sure you don't want me to help?" he asked, noticing Tenten stirring the mix heavily. She turned to him again, a small frown adorning her sharp, focused features. Her eyes narrowed at him, making Suigetsu cringe on the inside. He didn't show it, but the girl scared him...slightly. She could be intimidating, but he knew that she was a big softie on the inside. She put on a hard shell to protect herself, but it easy to crack. Usually, her intimidating stare would get people to back off, but if you pressed the right buttons, she'd fall apart. He was one of the few people who knew the buttons, but never pressed.

"I never said that, but you can't help me in those clothes. Now either change and help me, wait for pancakes, or visit she-who-will-not-be-named," she huffed, turning around to mix the food. Shocked crossed his eyes before a calm smile relaxed his shocked expression away. "You're _still_ here? I thought I told you to leave! Shoo!" she said, pushing him out the kitchen, he chuckled and walked over the large castle doors.

"I guess I should leave then, Tenten. I've a busy day ahead, and you lot should manage fine without me. Keep me updated on what happens, you know it's my secrets for hers, and we need to know what's going on outside the castle walls. I'll be back after dark, so don't wait up," he said, opening the door, letting in blinding sunlight. Tenten waved her hand around, showing that she didn't need his lecture. He put on his white cloak and smiled at her.

"Is that all?" she said, "I've got pancakes in the making." He smiled and placed a soft kiss on her forehead protector. She glared and pushed him off.

"Oh, I know you'll miss me when I'm gone."

"I don't know how I'll go on," she said, putting a hand to her forehead and closing her eyes. He smiled at her, and pulled her into a hug. She half-heartedly fought her way out of his grasp, but seeing he wasn't going to let up, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze. It was supposed to be short and sweet, but Suigetsu always had a way of dragging things out. "You should be on your way, Sui," she said, pulling away from him. He sighed and let her go.

"Tell Sasuke that I'm in Sound," he said, walking out and closing the door behind him. She nodded brightly and walked back into the kitchen.

Hearing a loud thud, he smiled and strolled out to the garden and plucked a single red tulip. He sniffed it, savoring the smell, then shook it softly and a transparent ball fell from it. _Nearly invisible, _he thought, shaking his head. He smiled as he picked it up and dusted it off on his cloak. _Just like her to try and make me search for it, _he said, noting the clearness. He stepped on it and a white smoke appeared. For a second, he couldn't breathe, see, smell, or even think clearly. He could feel himself being lifted up from the ground, but he couldn't see where he was going.

The next second, he was on hard wood, staring at a snake. The thing hissed at him, and flicked it's tounge onto his nose. Suigetsu smiled and watched the thing slither around his arm. "Good morning, Daisuke," he said to the snake who was making his way around Suigetsu's arms. "Is _she _here?" he asked the snake who crawled on the floor, staring back at him with large, white eyes. "Show me where she is," he said, crouching down. The snake quickly moved out the room the two were in and towards someone's room. "Thank you," he said, looking at the snake who wrapped itself around his leg.

He knocked on the door, and was greeted by a red-head with equally red eyes, covered by horn-rimmed glasses. "You're finally here," she said. He rolled his eyes at her and walked in. Immediately he was greeted by the smell of dead snake skin, and cringed slightly. "Daisuke, Chiyo, Choji, and Kirara molted yesterday," she said, lifting the skin up with her index finger and tossing the skin away. "I hate staying in here with them."

"Aa. You hate it here and we can't go anywhere else, so lets get to the point. You called me, what do you want to share?" he said, sitting on her bed, his eyes no longer holding the playful look in them. She sat beside him and sighed heavily.

"Tou-san is ready to after Sasuke and Kabuto's an Akatsuki spy. Tou-san doesn't trust him completely, but he's too valuable to be let go. Something about being an asset while being a pain in the ass," she said, looking down at her chipped nails. Her crimson eyes seemed far away, clouded over with thought. "But I know he could never ever _ever _get rid of him. He cares about him far too much."

"That's not it, is it, Karin?" Suigetsu asked. He lifted her chin up so she could look in his soft eyes. Unshed tears fogged up bright eyes, and he smiled at her, silently telling her that it was okay. "You can tell me anything, Karin. No matter how ugly or grisly or frightening," he said softly. She nodded and took a deep breath.

"They're trying to force me to tell them what you tell me. They even bugged my room, I took them all out, but just to be safe, I moved myself," she said, looking down. A frown adorned her lips as she let out a heavy sigh. Suigetsu put a comforting hand on her shoulder, knowing she was hiding something from him. She was easy to read, and he needed to know everything. Their lives depended on it. "Tou-san's changing," she said, staring at wall. A single picture of her and Orochimaru and Kabuto, she was smiling brightly while he stared with his hand clasped onto her shoulder and Kabuto was sitting beside her. In an instant, the pretty picture had a long, jagged, uneven crack running through the middle.

"Orochimaru's a bastard, Karin," Suigetsu said. She turned her head to him, messy hair whipping around her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she softly glared.

"That's not true," she said, defending him. He put his hands on her shoulder, her body incredibly hot to the touch. _She's getting angry, but she needs to know this, _he thought, gulping at what she might do to him.

"He's always been like this, just not around you," he said softly. Karin diverted her eyes from him and to the floor. Crimson eyes shone brighter as she stared. Her glared hardened, and he felt himself being lifted from his place on her bed.

"You're lying," she murmured, not going unnoticed by Suigetsu. Her index and middle fingers trembled slightly, unsure of what they were doing. Suigetsu sighed deeply before continuing.

"He's using you. I've been trying to tell you that since forever." She growled at he felt himself reach the ceiling. Her fingers aimed towards him, coating him in a sticky, wet, and unnaturally heavy substance. He stayed on the ceiling for a moment, but when his eyes locked with hers, he knew he was going to fall.

"You're a liar!" she screamed, dropping him on the floor. He groaned as he lifted his head to face her. "Tou-san loves me and Kabuto!"

"You're too naïve, Karin! He doesn't love anyone!" he said, desperately trying to gether to listen to him. She closed her eyes and screamed lowly. Her fingers clenched into fist and he was lifted up again, hitting her ceiling much harder than the first time.

"You're always doing this to me!" He groaned at the pain in his back, but kept his face still.

"You're not believing me!" he countered, waiting to be dropped back on the floor. Instead, he was coating in a heavy, burning tar that stuck to him like a second skin. He hissed in pain, causing her to smirk. _He's getting to her, _he thought. Karin threw her head back in a small chuckle and for a brief moment, her red eyes burned black. Suigetsu gasped, and she glared at him.

"That's because Tou-san loves me!" she said, dropping him on the floor, still covered in the tar. She put a foot over his chest, covered in tar, and pressed down on him, seemingly uneffected by the burning substance. She looked into his eyes and smirked, when she saw him move his mouth.

"Stop this, Karin!" he said, gazing into the black eyes he resented. "It's not you." he pleaded, his chest heaving up and down with every painful breath. "Please Karin!" Seeing him wither in pain, she stepped back, her eyes changing back to crimson. "Make it stop! It's not right!" Her eyes flashed around the room, taking in the scene. She saw black stuff on the ceiling, and her best friend coated in tar, clearly in pain.

"Oh my god! Suigetsu! Sui, I'm so sorry!" she said, rushing towards him and pulling off the tar, which burned her terribly, but he was more important than her fingers. She gasped as she pulled the last of the stuff away, not caring about how she felt. She looked at him, her eyes filled with concern for him.

"You're...you...you're special," he said, grabbing a stay hair and tugging it behon her ear. "Orochimaru doesn't deserve someone as special as you loving him. He doesn't." Suigetsu said, taking a deep breath. Karin smiled and pulled him closer to her, tears spilling from her eyes. A ghost of a smile brushed on Suigetsu's face as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You're okay," she said softly, more to reassure herself than him._Tou-san loves me, _she thought. "...Or he used to," she said softly enough so he didn't hear. She sighed and set Suigetsu up on the bed. He opted to lay down, resting his head on her lap. She discretely smiled and played with his white hair. _He's fine, _she thought, a mave of relief washed over her.

"The girl from the story is real," he said, not bothering to get up. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second and she smiled softly.

"Well duh, she's got to be real," she said. "She's the one who's going to save everyone when they need saving. Don't you know anything, Sui?" she asked teasingly. He chuckled lightly at her and tapped her nose softly.

"She's here _now. _This is where the story gets real, Karin," Suigetsu said, a smirk on his lips. Karin looks at him suspiciously and then bursted into a giddy smile. "She's staying with Sasuke," he said, noticing her expression change. "And the two are getting along great," he said with a slight smirk on his face. Karin glared at him and lifted him up to where he was floating in front of her. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and Suigetsu smiled at her. "He's opening up to her, and she's letting him grow on her. She's the first person he let into his library." Karin glared half-heartedly. "It'd be pointless to pursue him now," he said, smiling at her. It was no secret that Karin had a small infatuation for the youngest Uchiha, and Suigetsu always made a point to tease her about it.

"You never know," she said, looking at him. "Things can change, it's not like it's etched in stone," she said, smiling at the white-haired man. He chuckled at her, causing him to fall on her lap again. Her smiled widened when she felt him grasp her hand and pull it slightly.

"It's written on paper," he said. "And it'd be best if you moved on. Find somebody else, then get out of here." A small frown etched itself on Karin's face. "Orochimaru is going to bleed you dry, then throw you away, just like everybody else he's used. Kimmimaro, the Sound Five, Kin and Zaku, Juugo. Quite frankly, I have no idea why Kabuto's here, that traitorous bastard. You're no different from the others, once your done, he's going to kill you," he said, strongly. Karin sighed and glaced at the cracked picture again.

"He uses people until he can't anymore, that's just the way he is. But I _am_ different from the rest. I'm a witch, and he loves me. I just assist him when he wants, he's not using me, and he's not going to get rid of me. I'm too special for that, he told me. Me and Kabuto are still here because we're a family. Me, him, and Orochimaru. He's not going to get rid of us, no matter what _you _think," she spat back defiantly. Her eyes twinlked as she rested her head in her hands. "Besides, paper can be torn."

"You're going to look pathetic when Sasuke tells her he loves her," he said, his gaze fixed on her. She smirked at him and looked at her long, delicate fingers. "He does, or at least will. It's envitable."

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Until then, he's the only I'm going to be thinking about," she said, sighing heavily. Suigetsu smirked at her, a devious thought racing through his head.

"The _only _one?" he said, a hint of something he couldn't quite place in his voice.

"Yeah," she said, a light laugh exiting her voice. Suigetsu smiled at her.

"I guess I'm going to have to change that," he said. A flash of confusion crossed her face before she was pulled in by Suigetsu. He hesitated for a moment, but quickly got over it as he crashed his lips over hers.

She was confused, but that didn't stop her from closing her eyes and kissing him back. It was soft and sweet, and filled with something magical about it. And as quickly as it came, the kiss ended. "What was that about?" she asked, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Nothing much, just an impulse," he said smirking at the confused red-head. Without warning, she crushed her lips on his again, making him smile. _Move over, Sasuke, _he thought, as his hands found their way to her waist.


	15. Tenten and Sasuke

**Hi! You guys have waited, so I bring the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy, I worked hard on it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are the reason I write.  
**

**Disclaimer - Disclaimed. I couldn't write as well as Kishimoto if I tried.**

Hearing light laughter coming behind her Tenten smiled. "You two are getting along swimmingly," she said, not looking behind her as she flipped a pancake. "Of course, this shouldn't be a shock, considering she's Sakura and you're Sasuke and you two are gonna get married and stuff," she said, causing the girl behind her to blush heavily. The guy simply grunted in her direction.

"It's just a story, it doesn't have to happen," Sakura said, moving to sit on the blue chairs. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at her and Tenten turned around.

"Explain," he said, watching the rosette stare down the other girl. Sakura smiled and shrugged softly.

"Well, the story very vague," she began, earning a nod from Sasuke and an interested glance from Tenten. "It just says I help you and Naruto on your avenge the king and queen and rid the land of its monsters. It doesn't mention what kind of monsters we'll be fighting, when we'll fight them, or give us time or dates. It doesn't even mention that the Kyuubi host is being persued. If this turns into a full-blown war between us and the Akatsuki, then it'll take months or even years for us to get to the fairy tale ending, as cliché as it is. It said that I'd free the cursed, but I'm not sure how I would think to save them, but now I have two important people I need to save, so I might need to meet the person who cursed them," she said, looking at Sasuke. Onyx eyes traveled to the floor, and a brunette turned back to the oven.

"There's a very real possibilty that we don't end up together," she said softly. Her green-eyed gaze met the floor, staring at the blue reflection. "But maybe we will," she said in an even softer tone, and bought her eyes to him, who was lost in thought. Upon noticing her, he snapped out of it and touched her hand lightly. She looked up and met licorice eyes, with a hint of something sparkling in them. She felt herself forget what they were talking about when she looked into the piercing eyes. _We probably will, _she thought, getting lost in his smoldering gaze. She could feel her cheeks burn, but didn't do anything the stop the blush from spreading farther on her face.

It wasn't until she smelled something burning that she turned her gaze from the glimmering black eyes to the oven, where Tenten hideously burned whatever she was making. "Shit, Tenten!" Sakura said turning off the oven. Tenten turned around to see her pancakes burning and sighed heavily. "Now it's going to smell like smoke," she huffed, opening the doors and rushing out.

"Oops," she said, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. Sasuke sent a small glare which she gladky returned. "Sorry! You guys were so cute, and I thought back to how Sakura looked a little like Hinata whenever Naruto talked to her and how she fainted when he first said hi," she said quickly, much to Sasuke's amusement.

"And why isn't Suigetsu here?" he asked, noticing that his butler, and as much as he hated to admit it - _friend - _was missing. Tenten smiled at him brightly and giggled.

"He's in Sound," she said teasingly. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the girl. She's tough alright, but sometimes she could be such a...girl! Not that he minded of course. Tenten has been around for longer than he can remember, and he would hate if she had to leave one day. She's been like the older sister that he never had, and didn't mind having.

"Playing with his girlfriend?" Sasuke asked, looking at the smiling girl. She eagerly bounced on the balls of her feet, nodding excitedly. "Think he's going to come back with something useful?"

"He always does," she said. Sasuke smiled at her.

"Last time he went all he said was that Orochimaru doesn't care about Karin," he pointed out. "And he sounded rather pissed," he added. Tenten snickered lightly.

"This is true, but before that he told us about Kabuto being a traitorous bastard," Tenten said. Sasuke smirked at her and sighed.

"Naruto could've told you that," Sasuke countered. Tenten was about to say something else when a loud knocking came in from the front door. "You get it," Sasuke said, and Tenten scoffed.

"Why should I?"

"The prince told you so."

"The prince can eat a burnt pancake." Another five knocks came.

"_You_ eat a burnt pancake after _you_ open the door."

Glare.

Smirk.

Knock.

Frustrated sigh.

"There's a lot to hate about you, y'know?"

"I know."

Glare.

Smirk.


	16. First Glances

**Hi! Thanks for waiting, hope you enjoy this. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It's greatly appreciated! Sorry, I took a mini vacation and didn't update for Sasu-cakes birthday. :(. On the bright side, I've been reading the manga and Team Hebi is doing surprisingly well! I got my first glimpses of everyone's personalites and they make me smile. :) Now this chapter is only a filler, I didn't want to put them both in at the same time.**

"I really hope I didn't come this far to train you, Tenten," the silver haired man at the door said, looking at the smaller girl in front of him. Tenten felt a smile spread across her face as she stared at the man who had most of his face covered and his lone eye staring in a bright orange book. He glanced at her, his eye crinkling, showing that he was smiling under his mask. "You'd think Guy would've done a good enough job," he said, stepping around her. SHe slapped his shoulder playfully while pouting.

"Kakashi!" she squealed, throwing her arms excitedly around his neck in a bone-crushing hug. She closed her brown eyes and sighed, crushing him with almost superhuman strength. She let her chakra that she had been concealing flare wildly, showing the older man just how strong she was. "Guy-sensi taught me more than you can ever imagine," she whispered. "I can kill you in a million different ways, ojii-san." She released and winked at him. Extending her delicate, but oh-so-deadly hand she said, "I'll take you to Sasuke since Suigetsu's not here. He's been expecting you, and would be happy if he saw you being led by a lady," she said, leading him into the kitchen, where Sasuke was sitting besides Sakura, both enjoying eggs. Kakshi didn't enter, but stayed at the threshold.

Tenten glared at them, while Sakura stuck her tounge out at her. Sasuke spared her a glance and chuckled softly. "Just because you can't cook, doesn't mean we have to suffer," she chided, looking at Tenten with bright emerald orbs. Tenten narrowed her eyes at her, but then smiled at the rosette.

"I have a gift for you," she said in a sing-song voice. Sakura looked at the girl, wondering what she was talking about. Sasuke raised a brow, and gave the girl a skeptical look. She bounced on the balls of her feet and smiled at her.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, her voice soft. Tenten's smile grew wider bya fraction on an inch.

"It's not a 'what', it's a -"

"KAKA-SENSEI!" a loud voice said, followed by a loud thud. Sasuke glanced at Tenten, who smiled sheepishly, before opening the door and looking out. There he saw an orange blob cuddling with an silver-haired man in a green vest. "I MISSED YOU!" the blob whined as his grip tightened. Large tears started flowing from his eyes. "DON'T EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!" he yelled.

Sasuke smirked at this. "Naruto," he said, causing the blob to look up, revealing deep blue eyes and blonde hair.

"Sasuke," he said, looking into onyx eyes.

"Get off Kakashi. He's not here for you." Naruto flipped Sasuke off, but got off of the older man. Gesturing him up, he led him into the kitchen, where Sakura was staring at Tenten.

"What is it?" she asked, before diverting her attention to the two men entering. Her eyes widened a bit and she gave a confused look to Tenten.

"I'm 'it,'" Kakashi said, looking the girl over, "but you can call me Kakashi. I'm going to be the one who'll be training you until your deemed fit to start your adventure...journey...thing," he said with a calm voice. Sakura eyed him up and down and smiled.

"Sounds nice," she said, smiling.


	17. Meeting Kakashi

**Disclaimer - disclaimed.**

Kakshi's lone eye crinkled as he smiled at the girl. _So she's the one who's supposed to help those idiots, _he thought, turning his attention back at Sasuke and Naruto who were bickering about something probably unimportant. From he could hear they were talking about a girl, which was strange seeing as Sasuke was completely asexual. For as long as Kakashi known him - which was Sasuke's whole life - he never spared any girl a second look, no matter who they were. From dignitaries to princesses to civilians, he would spare a second glance. Seeing Sasuke turn and give Sakura a shy glance over his shoulder, his non-visable smile widened a fraction on an inch. _She's special, _he thought, looking at the boys.

"Why do you wear that mask, Kakashi?" Sakura asked suddenly. His lone gray eye traveled back to the pinkette who had been staring at him for a while. His gray eye met her jade ones for a fleeting moment before staring at the floor. "I don't mean to be rude, but why? It seems that you'd have a pretty face," she said quietly, diverting her attention to the floor as well. A small blush dusted over her face. He chuckled softly before answering. Charmingly, he took her by the hand and smiled - the only indication was his eye crinkling. She gave him and confused glance, but let her hand rest in his.

"If my mask were to come off, you'd be astonished by just _how _pretty my face is, dear Sakura," he said, smoothly, making her blush even harder and pull her hand away suddenly. Her eyes widened at the motion, but then she scoffed softly.

"It takes a lot to astound me, Kakashi-sensei," she said, smirking at him. "I've seen plenty of pretty people before. There were tons of pretty people in Tokyo, and I had a foster-brother who was pretty attractive. Naruto's handsome and Sasuke is stunning. Even the guy who tried to kill me was pretty. Beautiful even," she said, with a confident smirk on her face. Kakashi's gray eye widened a bit, which she didn't notice. "So tell me, why would _you _astonish me?"

"Someone tried to kill you?" he asked, catching her off guard, which was evident on her face. She quickly recomposed herself and smiled at him, the fake smile her favorite foster brother tought her.

"Itachi. He's a real pain in the ass, y'know?" she said, looking back over her shoulder at Sasuke and Naruto, who were watching her watch them. She smiled and turned back to Kakashi.

"Never had the pleasure of meeting him," Kakashi remarked, looking at the rosette, who simply smiled at him.

"He's a real asshole. I fucking hate that guy," she said, the calm smile still on her face.

"No need for angry words," he said, looking the girl over. She seemed...distressed, uneasy. _Itachi must've put her on edge..._he thought, easiliy figuring out that the smile was forced. "How about we get to know each other?" he asked, which she nodded softly. "Tell me about yourself," he said, putting on a nonchalant act. He gave a pensive look, hidden by his mask.

"My name is Sakura Haruno, you already know that, but I feel like I should say it. I dunno. I like helping out; I guess that's why I'm here," she said, looking him in the eye. He nodded slightly, egging her to go on. "I'm not too fond of rodents or insects, they creep me out. I don't mind getting dirty, but I'd prefer not too. It's a trait I get from my father." Kakshi opened his mouth to ask a question about her father, but quickly closed it upon hearing her next statement.. "I don't like being asked about my parents, and I'm not too keen on talking about any of my foster parents - most were assholes." _So she's from a foster home, multiple one's at that_, he thought, noticing she saud parent_s. _"I don't know exactly what I'm going to do, but if all goes well, then I'm going to help make the kingdom whole again," she said, not missing a beat. Kakashi smiled at her under his mask. "Now you," she said, smiling at him.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I trained Naruto and Sasuke. I don't care to tell you my likes or dislikes, and my childhood isn't important. I don't know what to think of you yet, but I can tell that it'll be a pleasure training you. We'll start training tomorrow morning at seven a.m. You'll probably need a tutor or something to help you understand some of the words I use, but you'll get used to it. Eat breakfast before training and you'll barf," he said, while standing up. A second later, he was gone. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, causing Sakura's eyes to widen.

_Well that was insightful, _she thought, staring at the strange man who seemed to disappear before her very eyes. _Tutor? What kinds of words is he talking about? _she pondered, looking at the spot the man held just a second ago. She sighed heavily, glancing at the wall. A second later, Tenten walked in smiling. "Hi, Sakura," she said, taking the place Kakashi held. Sakura smiled brightly at her.

"Hi Tenten," she said looking at the brown-eyed girl. She smiled and placed a long, silver, and dangerously sharp object. It was about the size of her hand, with a pointed edges. The blade itself was rhombus shaped and the handle had a small hole at the end, possibly used to link ropes. The tip gleamed softly, making Tenten smile. She glanced down before lookjing at the girl who held it only seconds before. Sakura gave the brunette the 'are-you-freaking-kidding-me?' look before answering.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked, which Saskura scoffed. She rolled her green eyes, and directed them toward the girl.

"It's a knife," she said, looking at the girl with a 'duh' look. Tenten smiled at her softly. _She doesn't know anything, _she thought, shaking her head slowly. Sakura frowned and the action and sighed, "I know what a knife looks like, Tenten. I've had plenty of experience with them." She pouted a little, making Tenten laugh.

"It's not a knife, it's _a kunai_. A dagger used for stabbing and thrusting, though they can be used for throwing. It wasn't designed for it, but they sail through the air pretty quickly. They can be used in long and close range combat, making them excellent weapons. I would recommend that you keep one on you at all times, but I'm sure you don't know how to use it...yet," she said, a bright smile on her face. Sakura gave her a perplexed expression but sighed deeply. She picked up the object and studied it.

She knew it was different than any other knife she'd ever seen before. It wasn't flat like other knives and there was a hole at the end. She ran her finger along an edge and was shocked that it didn't bleed. "It's an old one, dulled over a few years," she said, smiling at the girl who looked at her finger. "A new one would've cut it clean off." Sakura cringed and put it back down. Slowly Tenten put a new weapon on the table.

A small, metal star was on the table. It has four pointed and sharp edges, and a large hole on the middle. Sakura could tell that it was for throwing, and knew that she had no idea what the thing was called. "Do you have any guesses?" Tenten asked, causing Sakura to shake her head slowly. She held up the object and slid it down her finger. "Shuriken. Don't underestimate them just because they're small. They're good for distractions, pinning down opponents, and if you use them right, can kill the target. You throw them, and they tend to fly pretty far, depending how strongly you throw them," she said, looking at the smaller girl.

Sakura nodded slightly. Seeing Tenten reach into the bag, she asked, "How many weapons are we going to learn today?" Tenten smiled brightly at her, and decided to giggle instead of answer, making her sigh.

"A lot," she said, pulling out a scroll, filled with weapons she didn't know existed.


End file.
